***************************************************************** 06/19/06 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 14.145 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject line and first line of body NUCLEAR POLICY 1 Guardian Unlimited: Albright: Iraq Invasion Encouraged Others 2 [NYTr] How Good Is US Intel on Iran? 3 ICH: US rejected Iranian overtures 4 [NYTr] Bush Launches New Volley of Threats Against Iran 5 Iranian Peace Offers 6 IRNA: Asefi: Talks with US not on Iran's agenda 7 Guardian Unlimited: Bush Gives Iran an Ultimatum on Uranium 8 IRNA: Turkey urges wider ties with Iran 9 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: Positive atmosphere over Iran n-case 10 IRNA: Deputy FM: Iran favors a Middle East free from nuclear weapons 11 IRAN: Schroeder urges Iran-US cooperation 12 IRNA: EU expects answer from Iran by end of June 13 IRNA: US secret diplomacy aimed at mounting pressure on Iran - MP 14 [NYTr] North Koreans Said to Be Near a Missile Test 15 Guardian Unlimited: North Korea warned over missile test 16 AFP: Japan, allies warn North Korea on missile launch 17 Guardian Unlimited: Rice Warns N. Korea Against Missile Test 18 Platts: Senate Foreign Relations chairman endorses US-India pact 19 [NYTr] Amnesty: Miscrosoft Helped Israeli Police in Vanunu Probe 20 BBC: Call for 'urgent' energy action NUCLEAR REACTORS 21 US: [NukeNet] NJ Wants NRC To Weigh Terror Threat at Oyster Creek 22 Guardian Unlimited: Tried, tested and failed 23 CTV Toronto: Nuclear power plans criticized by watchdog - 24 ePolitix.com: Campbell warns on nuclear costs 25 Nashuatelegraph.com: Hospital helps visiting Chernobyl children 26 Platts: Borssele granted 60-year lifetime operation 27 globeandmail.com: Skills shortage looms in nuclear industry 28 US: MSNBC: Nuclear energy sparks interest among U.S. engineering stu 29 Korea Times: KEDO Chief Resigns NUCLEAR SECURITY NUCLEAR SAFETY NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 30 US: [NukeNet] Train (carrying radioactive material) derailment 31 US: Pretoria News: Bidders queue up for Zim\'s uranium 32 US: NRC: RIN 3150-AH86 33 US: GLRC: TURNING NUKE WASTE SITES INTO PLAYGROUNDS PEACE US DEPT. OF ENERGY 34 FCW.com: DOE security upgrades could better protect data 35 Las Vegas Business Press: 'Dream team' coming to test site 36 Knox News: Nuclear superstructure's demolition ahead of schedule 37 Knox News: Munger: TAG Transport answers the call when it comes ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 Guardian Unlimited: Albright: Iraq Invasion Encouraged Others From the Associated Press [UP] Monday June 19, 2006 8:46 PM By ALEX NICHOLSON Associated Press Writer MOSCOW (AP) - Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright criticized the U.S. invasion of Iraq, saying Monday it had encouraged Iran and North Korea to push ahead with their nuclear programs. Albright, who served under President Clinton, said ``the message out of Iraq is the wrong one.'' ``The message out of Iraq is that if you don't have nuclear weapons, you get invaded. If you do have nuclear weapons, you don't get invaded,'' she said after an investors' conference in Moscow. Albright visited North Korea in October 2000, becoming the highest-level American official ever to travel to the country. The two nations do not have formal diplomatic relations. Albright also said Russia did not deserve membership in the Group of Eight major industrialized nations because it did not meet all the requirements. ``In terms of some criteria on open society, democracy, there are more and more questions, frankly,'' said Albright, who is now a business consultant. In particular, she said Russia's state-controlled gas monopoly OAO Gazprom was being used for political ends and appeared to be ``operating less as a gas company than as a state structure.'' Moscow's reliability as an energy supplier was called into question this year when it briefly cut off natural gas supplies to several European countries in a dispute with Ukraine. The incident rattled European policy makers, who also accused Russia of using its substantial oil and gas resources as a political weapon. Russia, which was admitted to the G-8 during the Clinton presidency, is hosting the group's summit in St. Petersburg next month. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 2 [NYTr] How Good Is US Intel on Iran? Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 20:41:35 -0400 (EDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit sent by MichaelP (activ-l) The Sunday Statesman (India) - Jun 18, 2006 http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=4&id=147664&usrsess=1 HOW GOOD IS US INTELLIGENCE ON IRAN? by Graham Allison For the first time since Iran walked away from negotiations with France, Germany and Great Britain in August 2005, there are rays of optimism in the crisis over the Islamic Republics nuclear programme. Before breaking out the champagne to celebrate a diplomatic solution, it may be appropriate to pause for reflection: on the potential scope of Irans secret bomb programme. Twice shy after overrating Iraqi WMD, the American intelligence community may be seriously underestimating Irans progress toward a nuclear bomb. The USA has broken with 27 years of official policy and agreed to join the Europeans in negotiating directly with Iran ~ conditional on Iran suspending uranium-enrichment activities that could lead to a bomb. EU High Representative Javier Solana presented Tehran with a package of carrots coupled with the threat of sticks. The specifics of the offer, not yet public, are likely to include new proliferation-resistant light water reactors, international nuclear-fuel assurances including five years worth of nuclear fuel in Iran, and other commercial and technological rewards. The essence of the agreement on the nuclear issue will reaffirm Irans right to the benefits of peaceful nuclear energy in return for Tehran postponing actual enrichment for a specified period. Yet, the current approach to Iran is predicated on the largely unexamined assumption that its overt enrichment programme at Isfahan and Natanz is the problem and that a deal to freeze or dismantle the centrifuge facility constitutes a solution. The strategy doesnt address what US secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld calls known unknowns ~ gaps in knowledge that have been recognised but not filled. How good is US intelligence about nuclear facts on the ground in Iran? In April, when asked about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejads claim that Iran has joined the club of nuclear countries, National Intelligence Council chairman Tom Fingar stated that there is no dissent within the 15 US intelligence agencies that Iran will get a nuclear bomb no sooner than early to mid next decade. This American view stands in stark contrast to the Israeli intelligence judgment, with the head of Mossad reporting in December 2005 that Iran could have a nuclear bomb within two years. Could the unanimity of American intelligence be dij' vu all over again, only the reverse of the Iraq WMD fiasco? In the lead-up to the Iraq war, American intelligence agencies expressed high confidence that Iraq is continuing, and in some areas expanding its chemical, biological, nuclear, and missile programmes. They were dead wrong. In the aftermath of that intelligence failure, the Silverman-Robb Commission examined the capacity of US intelligence agencies to assess WMD developments abroad. It concluded: Across the board, the intelligence community knows disturbingly little about the nuclear programmes of many of the worlds most dangerous actors. Consider also that members of the CIA have described the agencys covert action abilities inside Iran from 2000 through 2004 as unchanged: theyre zero. As James Risen reports in State of War, a US intelligence blunder allowed Iranian security officials to roll up the American network of spies in Iran. Most important revelations on Irans nuclear programme have come either from informants who walk in to US embassies or from Iranian dissident groups with uncertain agendas. Might Western intelligence services have underestimated Irans nuclear programme? The judgment that Tehran is five to 10 years away from a bomb focuses primarily on its overt enrichment programme at Isfahan and Natanz. The dog that hasnt barked is Irans covert programmes for acquiring nuclear weapons. Four huge known unknowns lie at the heart of judgments about the threat posed by Iran. First, is success in Irans overt effort a necessary condition for success in its covert programmes? President Bush and his European colleagues operate on the assumption that it is. Otherwise their operational objective ~ a moratorium on research activities at Isfahan and Natanz ~ would be beside the point. Second, have Iranian nuclear scientists and engineers already learned enough at the Natanz facility about assembling and operating a cascade of centrifuges that they can now independently build and run such a cascade? Have they passed what has previously been called a point of no return? Third, has Iran bought highly enriched uranium from former Soviet stockpiles, Pakistan or elsewhere? Are they clandestinely building nuclear bombs using Chinese warhead designs acquired from AQ Khan? If so, engaging the USA in bargaining about enrichment activity at Natanz could be a way to distract attention and buy time. Fourth, has Iran purchased actual nuclear warheads from the former Soviet arsenal or from Pakistan to mate with its Shahab-3 missile? Three known bits of evidence are hard to fit into the jigsaw puzzle that American intelligence has assembled. First, in August 2004, Iran test-fired a Shahab missile that featured a nose cone usually reserved for nuclear weapons. Second, IAEA director General Mohamed ElBaradei has disclosed a connection between Irans nuclear programme and its military activity, including a missile reentry vehicle. Third, the father of the Pakistani nuclear programme, Dr AQ Khan, sold Iran advanced P2 centrifuge designs that are still unaccounted for. President Ahmadinejads recent declaration that Iran is using P2 centrifuges could mean that Iran is much closer to its goal. In the face of such uncertainty, President Bush should first and foremost assure that the intelligence judgments on which the current US strategy is predicated are as solid as they can possibly be. The President should assemble a Team B of sceptics and task them to pursue all known unknowns on the basis of all sources of information. The best information on Irans declared facilities is gathered by IAEA inspectors. The IAEA has surprised even the Iranians with the quality of its investigations, including when it proved that plutonium samples did not match Irans alibi for them. For information on possible clandestine activities, however, Russia is an indispensable nation. First, Russia is completing construction of Irans first civilian nuclear reactor at Bushehr, giving it a working relationship with Islamic Republics nuclear engineers. Second, in the mid-1990s, Moscow negotiated an agreement to supply Iran with technology and equipment for an enrichment facility ~ which was eventually cancelled under US pressure. Russian intelligence undoubtedly gleaned useful information about the scope of Iranian needs in negotiating this deal. Moreover, Russian arms sales have established connections between the two militaries. Indeed, the Tor-M1 air defence systems that Iran bought from Russia for $1.4 billion will be used to defend its nuclear sites. President Bush should thus ask his friend President Putin for a favour: Russian and US intelligence experts should be assigned to produce a joint assessment of Irans nuclear programme. President Putin will extract a price for Russias help in such an undertaking, one President Bush can afford to pay. Taqiyya is an important concept in Shia Islam, which translated means concealing or disguising ones beliefs, convictions, ideas, feelings, opinions, or strategies at a time of eminent danger, whether now or later in time, to save oneself from physical or mental injury. Some Islamic commentators call this diplomacy. In negotiating with Iran, the USA and its allies should be wary of the conjurers trick: distracting the viewer with one hand while the other pulls a rabbit from a hat. [Graham Allison is director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvards John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is author of Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis and Nuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe.] * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 3 ICH: US rejected Iranian overtures Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:51:41 -0500 (CDT) IF INFORMATION CLEARING HOUSE IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, I NEED YOUR HELP Information Clearing House (ICH) depends on readers to help offset the costs of web site hosting, bandwidth usage and editorial expenses. ICH, is 100% non commercial. News and information is posted to the website regardless of any commercial considerations. Without reader support, both in forwarding news items to me and financial contributions, this site would not exist. I need your help to keep it going. I would appreciate your providing whatever you can- $5, $10, $20, $50, $100- To Use PayPal click here: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/support.htm To use your credit card click here. http://www.amazon.com/paypage/P2KA3Y9ANMJPWZ or if you prefer to send a check or money order, Tom, PO Box 365 Imperial Beach, CA 91933. USA. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Low income readers: DON'T send money, just encourage others to subscribe. http://informationclearinghouse.info/subscribe.htm === "A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both." -- James Madison = "Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people." -- John Adams = "The tyranny of a principal in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy." --Montesquieu, 1748 === Read this newsletter online http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/ RSS FEED http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/rssfeed.xml News Syndication You can include the headlines from this newsletter on your own website free of charge http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/syndicate.htm === Number Of Iraqi Civilians Slaughtered In America's War? As Many As 250,000 http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11674.htm Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In Bush's War 2503 http://icasualties.org/oif/ The War in Iraq Costs $289,672,724,597 See the cost in your community http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182 === Murtha on Iraq, Rove and Staying The Course Must watch 4 minute video "He's in New Hampshire. He's making a political speech. Hes sitting in his air-conditioned office on his big, fat backside-saying stay the course. Thats not a plan!" Click here to watch Windows media and transcript http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13686.htm === "Operation Forward Together": Deeper Into the Quagmire By Dahr Jamail On Tuesday, June 13th, while Mr. Bush spent a brave five hours in the "green zone" of Baghdad with puppet Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, at least 36 people were killed across Iraq amidst a wave of bombings. 18 of those died in a spasm of bombings in the oil city of Kirkuk in the Kurdish north. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13688.htm === Bushs Baghdad Photo-op By Mike Whitney The media gobbled up Bushs photo-op with their customary zeal. The visit was yet another successful Rove-coup that probably nudged Bushs approval ratings upward, but achieved nothing substantive. The pictures of smiley-faced politicians glad-handing and chest-thumping appeared on the front pages of every newspaper in the country. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13690.htm === In case you missed it Operation Saddam - America's Propaganda War Video - 50 Minutes Documentary focusing on the tactics used by the U.S and it's allies in the build up to,and during, the Iraq War, featuring Ray Mcgovern and Seymour Hersh amongst others. Click here to watch. Real video and transcript. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11054.htm === US rejected Iranian overtures in 2003 By JPost.com Staff 06/18/06 "Jerusalem Post" -- -- Officials in US President George W. Bush's administration turned down a 2003 Iranian offer to begin talks with the US, recognize Israel, and end support of Palestinian terror organizations. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13689.htm === A negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis is within reach By Noam Chomsky The European Union and Iran struck a bargain: Iran would temporarily suspend uranium enrichment, and in return Europe would provide assurances that the United States and Israel would not attack Iran. Under US pressure, Europe backed off, and Iran renewed its enrichment processes. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13679.htm === Taliban kill 32 in Afghanistan: Taliban militants killed 32 friends and relatives of an influential lawmaker in southern Afghanistan and 10 others are missing, the legislator said. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060619/wl_afp/afghanistanattacks === 7 Taliban militants killed in southern Afghanistan : The rising violence in Afghanistan, especially in the south, has claimed over 400 lives over the past month. http://english.people.com.cn/200606/19/eng20060619_275261.html === At least twenty-one killed in spate of attacks in occupied Iraq : Twenty-one people were killed and eight others injured Monday in a spate of attacks across Iraq, police and security sources said. http://tinyurl.com/mj8jt === Bomb Strikes Iraqi Army Convoy, Killing 5 : A parked car bomb struck an Iraqi army convoy on Monday, killing five people and wounding nine, police said. http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5896228,00.html === US soldiers charged with "murder" of Iraqi prisoner: The U.S. military said on Monday three U.S. soldiers had been charged over the deaths of three male prisoners north of Baghdad on May 9. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13684.htm === U.S. Forces Attacks Ramadi: Helicopters flew over the Iraqi town of Ramadi and warplanes could be heard overhead http://newsnow.co.uk/newsfeed/?name=Iraq&search=&type=&Page=3 === SOS Ramadi: The first heavy attack on Ramadi by the American and Iraqi forces was launched last Friday, the 9th of June. Ramadi is the capital of the Anbar province and is situated about 100 km west of Baghdad, on the Euphrates. http://www.brusselstribunal.org/SosRamadi.htm === Group claims it has kidnapped two missing U.S. troops: The group, called the Mujahedeen Shura Council, also claimed it had kidnapped four Russian diplomats and killed a fifth in Baghdad on June 3. http://www.wkyt.com/Global/story.asp?S=5049150&nav=menu181_2 === Rome seeks trial for US marine who killed Italian agent in Iraq: Rome prosecutors Monday called for US marine Mario Lozano to be tried for the shooting of Italian intelligence officer Nicola Calipari in Baghdad, the Italian news agency Ansa reported. http://www.politicalgateway.com/news/read/19940 === Iraq plans insurgent amnesty: The amnesty plan, which apparently includes insurgents who allegedly have staged attacks against Americans and Iraqis, calls for the creation of a national committee and local subcommittees to welcome insurgents, according to a version of the plan published in an Iraqi newspaper Saturday. http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/06/18/100wir_a3iraq001.cfm === From the Embassy, a Grim Report: This cable, marked "sensitive" and obtained by The Washington Post, outlines in spare prose the daily-worsening conditions for those who live outside the heavily guarded international zone: harassment, threats and the employees' constant fears that their neighbors will discover they work for the U.S. government. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13682.htm === US Representative Maxine Waters and Out of Iraq Congressional Caucus Launch Campaign to Bring US Troops Home : To accomplish its goals, the Out of Iraq Caucus will work with other Congressional Caucuses and national organizations to hold hearings, press conferences and town hall meeting to educate the American people and pressure the Administration to conclude the war in Iraq. http://tinyurl.com/p5w2y === Iran shuns talks with U.S. over Iraq: "Because we respected Mr. Hakim's opinion, we accepted his request to talk to the United States but the Americans showed unreasonable and inappropriate behaviour that made the talks impossible," Asefi said. http://tinyurl.com/gvph8 === Blix: Iran may be able to produce nuclear bomb by 2010 : It is a matter of will, Hans Blix said in Jakarta, Indonesia, adding that while Iranian leaders now say they have no desire to build atomic arms and want UN inspectors to oversee their facilities, they might change their mind. http://tinyurl.com/lmkmc === Bush warns Iran on "nukes":. Bush warned Iran of "progressively stronger political and economic sanctions" if Tehran refuses to freeze sensitive nuclear activities in return for talks. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19528436-23109,00.html === Proof lacking on Iran weapons: The hostile policy of the Bush administration toward Iran, with sanctions imposed and the threat of possible military action, is based solely on suspicion. http://tinyurl.com/s35zb === U.S. Is Aiming to Block Venezuela's Bid for U.N. Role : The Bush administration fights the nation's pursuit of a seat on the Security Council, saying that President Hugo Chavez's influence could disrupt moves against Iran. http://ktla.trb.com/news/ktla-vene,0,154488.story?coll=ktla-news-1 === Reports: N. Korea on verge of missile test: S. Korean officials said there were signs a test-firing was imminent. The North accused the U.S. of provoking war. http://tinyurl.com/pawzc === Rice warns N. Korea against missile test : Unlike other preparatory steps the United States has tracked, the fueling process is very difficult to reverse, and most likely means the test will go ahead, one senior administration official said. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060619/ap_on_re_as/nkorea_missile === US still main threat to stability in European eyes: Europeans remain deeply suspicious of US foreign policy in spite of President George W. Bush's concerted attempts since the start of his second term to improve transatlantic relations. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13685.htm === Dr. Stephen Sniegoski on the Neocon Agenda : 8 Minute Video http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13687.htm === Democratically elected: Hamas leaders to be targeted?: In meeting at Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Defense Minister Peretz says 'Israel operating to convey diplomatic messages to Hamas leaders, but if that doesnt help we definitely plan to step up operations' http://tinyurl.com/pvyhn === Former Dutch Ambassador Calls for Sanctions if Israel Refuses to Comply with International Law: The media in Israel provide a platform for unpunished, insane calls for murdering peoples and a nation. An example is offered by Professor Arnon Sofer talking about Palestinians living in closed-off Gaza http://electronicintifada.net/v2/printer4825.shtml === Justin Raimondo : The Assassins : >From character assassination to physical assassination, the Lobby and its agents ruthlessly pursue their agenda http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=9170 === Jews lobby Presbyterian Church over divestment: The committee also heard from members and guests who supported divesting from Israel, among them Professor Norman Finkelstein, who said that Israel "has a horrendous record on human rights" http://tinyurl.com/rjout === Pro-Israel Neocons Torpedo Juan Cole Academic Appointment at Yale: The fact of the matter is that the Aipac crowd can't muzzle dissent in Israel, but sure can (try to) do so here in the States and has rather remarkable record of success on that score. http://tinyurl.com/ogks9 === Military's role in massacre stuns Colombians, leader: On a dirt road dotted with country homes near the western city of Cali, three trucks carrying an elite squad of anti-narcotics police pulled up to the gates of a psychiatric center for a planned raid about an hour before dusk. http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/14847576.htm === Why U.S. Has Stake in Mexican Election The outcome could alter relations between the North American neighbors. And a disputed vote could lead to political chaos. http://tinyurl.com/nzywn === Kicked out of Gitmo: A Times reporter's struggle to get the truth about America's island prison just got tougher. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13683.htm == Gabriele Zamparini: Darkness and Light: Centuries of darkness and misery are now called the history of civilization. http://www.thecatsdream.com/blog/2006/06/darkness-and-light.htm === In case you missed it: Video: Howard Zinn: The Myth of American Exceptionalism: Today, says Zinn, we have a president, who more than any before him, claims a special relationship with God. Zinn worries about an administration that deploys Christian zealotry to justify a war against terrorism, a war that in reality seems more about establishing a new beachhead in the oil-rich Middle East. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article8632.htm === Lesson from ISIs killing of a Journalist in Pakistan: On June 16, 2006, Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) silenced another journalist, Hidayatullah Khan, forever. He was handcuffed and shot from behind after experiencing unknown torment at the hands of his abductors for six months. http://www.icssa.org/isi_murder.html === Somalia claims U.S. urged Ethiopian incursion : The leader of the Islamists who now control most of southern Somalia accused the United States on Saturday of orchestrating what he called a border incursion by hundreds of Ethiopian troops. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/06/18/africa/web.0618somalia.php === Somali "Islamists" impose Sharia on former warlord stronghold: Somalia's dominant Islamist militia on Monday imposed Sharia law in the former warlord stronghold of Jowhar, making good on their vows to bring Islamic theocracy to the shattered Horn of Africa nation. http://tinyurl.com/r7tp9 === Bolivia to spend 6.8B to fight poverty : Bolivian President Evo Morales leftist government says it will fight poverty, hunger and homelessness in South Americas poorest nation by investing $6.8 billion through 2010, much of it with ambitious public works projects. http://www.heraldnewsdaily.com/stories/news-00195719.html === Paul Krugman on the New Class War in America: In case you haven't noticed, modern American politics is marked by vicious partisanship, with the great bulk of the viciousness coming from the right. It's clear that the Republican plan for the 2006 election is, once again, to question Democrats' patriotism. Audio and transcript http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13680.htm === Chris Floyd: Patriotic Pork: Give Me That Old-Time Corruption : This is good old-fashioned, down-home graft just like Mother used to make when she ran Tammany Hall. http://www.chris-floyd.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=705&Itemid=1 === Homeland security officials leave government for high-paying jobs: Dozens of members of President Bush's security team assembled after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, are now working for companies that sell security products and services to the government agencies they once helped manage. http://www.startribune.com/587/story/500154.html === Peace & Joy Tom Feeley === Liberty can not be preserved without general knowledge among people." (August 1765) John Adams _____________________________ Change address / Leave mailing list: http://ymlp.com/u.php?feminine+rich@math.missouri.edu Hosting by YourMailingListProvider ***************************************************************** 4 [NYTr] Bush Launches New Volley of Threats Against Iran Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:54:51 -0500 (CDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Prensa Latina, Havana http://www.plenglish.com Bush Launches Threats against Iran Washington, Jun 19 (Prensa Latina) US President George W. Bush reiterated on Monday his threats against Iran, the nuclear program of which has been questioned by the White House, although Tehran has asserted its objective is electric-energy generation. "There will be an action before the UN Security Council, an increasing international isolation and political and economic sanctions, which will be strengthened progressively," if Iran does not accept our offer, said Bush in King's Point, New York. In a speech to the Merchant Navy graduates, the president considered the supposed production of nuclear weapons by the Persian nation a threat, a hypothesis manipulated by Washington in its campaign against Iran. Iranian Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali Asgha Solatanieh said his government has put the proposals to resolve the differences about the nuclear program forth for "a serious consideration." In this reference, he requested time from the Western and that they do not take unnecessary or tough stands that could poison the current calmed atmosphere and the new multilateral diplomacy. My country is willing to negotiate without conditioning, with the objective of eliminating misunderstandings, if there are any, and facilitate a solution for the few pending matters. hr/iom/et * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 5 Iranian Peace Offers Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 14:57:09 -0500 (CDT) Institute for Public Accuracy 915 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045 (202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * ipa@accuracy.org ___________________________________________________ Monday, June 19, 2006 Iranian Peace Offers Sunday's Financial Times story "Iran 'Ready To Limit Nuclear Programme'" reports that "Iran's leadership is ready to limit its nuclear programme but will not suspend uranium enrichment as a precondition for talks, two regime insiders have told the Financial Times." See: . Also on Sunday, the Washington Post reported -- under the headline "In 2003, U.S. Spurned Iran's Offer of Dialogue; Some Officials Lament Lost Opportunity" -- about a "proposal from Iran for a broad dialogue with the United States," which "suggested everything was on the table -- including full cooperation on nuclear programs, acceptance of Israel and the termination of Iranian support for Palestinian militant groups." In response to this, the Post reports, the administration "formally complained to the Swiss ambassador who had sent the fax [proposal] with a cover letter certifying it as a genuine proposal supported by key power centers in Iran, former administration officials said." See: TRITA PARSI, tparsi@jhu.edu, http://www.tritaparsi.com Mideast specialist Parsi was cited in the Post article as having received a copy of the 2003 Iranian proposal. He said today: "Very few people would have guessed that Iran would have made such offers. This highlights the importance of the two sides getting to the negotiating table without any delay since a negotiated settlement is achievable." Parsi is author of the book "Treacherous Triangle: The Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel and the United States." GARETH PORTER, garethporter@erols.com, http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=33348 Porter wrote the article "Iran Proposal to U.S. Offered Peace with Israel" and several other pieces over the last several months on the offer from Iran. He can also comment on the 2003 Iranian proposal, the Financial Times report and other developments regarding Iran. For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy: Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167 _________________________________________________________________ You received this message as a subscriber on the list: public@lists.accuracy.org To be removed from the list, send any message to: public-unsubscribe@lists.accuracy.org For all list information and functions, including changing your subscription mode and options, visit the Web page: http://lists.accuracy.org/lists/info/public ***************************************************************** 6 IRNA: Asefi: Talks with US not on Iran's agenda June 18, IRNA -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi here Sunday said that talks with the US is not on Iran's agenda for the time being. He made the remark in this week's briefing in response to a question about the proposal of the Leader of the United Iraqi Alliance and Leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) Abdul Aziz Hakim for Iran-US talks over Iraq and the report of a media claiming that such talks are about to start in Germany. In reply to the proposed appointment of an ambassador to Palestine by Iran, he said that this needs to be examined accurately and comprehensively, adding that the Foreign Ministry will declare its view on it after thorough assessment, given the sensitivity of the issue. Asked whether Palestine will also be discussed during the meeting of the foreign minsters of Iraq's neighboring countries, Egypt and the Organization of the Islamic Conference member states (July 8-9), he said that various issues will be on the agenda of the event. "Though it will be mainly centered on Iraq, any gathering of Muslims, including the one to be held in Tehran, obviously approaches the Palestinian issue as well. Concerning the reason for the recent visit of US President George W. Bush to Iraq, he said in a humorous tone, "Mr. Bush did not inform us of his trip! However, to the best of my knowledge, it was associated with the US troops in Iraq and he meant to raise their spirit, given their low morale." Turning to growing insecurity in Iraq and the US impotence to take any measure in this respect, he said that he aimed to assess the latest developments in Iraq and raise the morale of US soldiers who are in a disastrous condition. About the outcome of the recent meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he referred to the fact that Iran's nuclear issue is actually being examined by two international bodies and said, "Iran has called for settlement of the matter and its return to the Board of Governors, where it should be assessed. "We believe that legally the view of the IAEA Board of Governors on the issue should be take into consideration." Asefi said that at the recent meeting of the board, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member states declared their strong support for Iran. "The international consensus to defend Iran is now clear to the world. Meanwhile, the US has been cornered. "The recent Board of Governors meeting just focused on IAEA chief's report, given that representatives of various countries, including some of US allies, did not agree with it. Many complained about the lengthy process of examination of Iran's nuclear issue, which is a simple and obvious case," added the spokesman. Asefi said that Iran will use its diplomatic capacities to solve the issue, adding that the country's determination to continue its sincere, clear and honest cooperation with the agency has been declared. ***************************************************************** 7 Guardian Unlimited: Bush Gives Iran an Ultimatum on Uranium From the Associated Press [UP] Monday June 19, 2006 8:31 PM AP Photo NYEB101 By DEB RIECHMANN Associated Press Writer KINGS POINT, N.Y. (AP) - President Bush told Iran on Monday that nations worldwide won't back down from their demand that Tehran suspend uranium enrichment. ``Iran's leaders have a clear choice. We hope they will accept our offer and voluntarily suspend these activities so we can work out an agreement that will bring Iran real benefits,'' Bush said a day before leaving for Vienna, Austria, where he will talk with European Union officials who are leading efforts to resolve the nuclear dispute. If Iran's leaders reject the offer, they will face action before the U.N. Security Council and progressively stronger political and economic sanctions, Bush said during a commencement speech at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. On Sunday, Iran accused the United States of trying to sway European nations from a possible compromise. The Iranian foreign ministry said U.S. insistence that negotiations be conditioned on Tehran's suspension of uranium enrichment has narrowed the scope of possible solutions, and made it more difficult for all parties to reach an accord. Bush made it clear he would not budge. He said allowing Iran to enrich uranium, a process that can make nuclear fuel for a power plant or fissile material for an atomic bomb, would present a grave threat to the world. ``The United States has offered to come to the table with our partners and meet with Iran's representatives as soon as the Iranian regime fully and verifiably suspends its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities,'' Bush said. ``I have a message for the Iranian regime: America and our partners are united. We have presented a reasonable offer. Iran's leaders should see our proposal for what it is - a historic opportunity to set their country on a better course.'' On June 6, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana presented a package of rewards and possible penalties to Iran. The package was drawn up by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council - the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia - and Germany. The package calls on Iran to suspend, not permanently halt, uranium enrichment as a condition for the start of talks, although the negotiations are aimed at getting Iran to agree to a long-term moratorium on such activity. Iran says enriching uranium is its country's right. Iranian officials say they are reviewing the package and will propose amendments. Bush is the first American president to address a graduating class at the academy. He spoke there at the request of former White House chief of staff, Andrew Card, who briefly studied there in the 1960s and hitched a ride on Air Force One to share the stage with the president. ``When he was a plebe, he was stuffed in a duffel bag and run up the flagpole,'' Bush said about his former chief of staff who left the school when he married. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy was created following a 1934 fire in which 134 people died aboard the passenger ship Morro Castle. Congress acknowledged the need for maritime-training standards and passed the Merchant Marine Act that created the academy in 1936. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the school in 1943 in Kings Point. Kings Point graduates work as deck officers aboard container ships, oil tankers, passenger cruise ships and other vessels. Others remain on land and have become engineers in shipbuilding companies and work in a variety of port operations, including security, while some opt for military careers. Since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the academy has played a leading role in developing international training standards for maritime security. ``From this campus, every man and woman could see the black smoke rising from the Twin Towers,'' Bush said. ``Within hours, your midshipmen were working side-by-side with the Coast Guard and Marine division of the New York City Fire Department,'' Bush told the midshipmen seated on a sunny football field at the academy outside New York City. ``Over the next nine days, you moved firefighters and police and emergency response teams into ground zero. You moved tons of food and water supplies. The heroic response to that terrible day showed the spirit of America, and the spirit of this fine academy.'' ^--- Associated Press Writer Frank Eltman in Kings Point, N.Y., contributed to this report. On the Net: U.S. Merchant Marine Academy: http://www.usmma.edu White House: www.whitehouse.gov Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 8 IRNA: Turkey urges wider ties with Iran , East Azarbaijan Prov, June 19, IRNA Visiting Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Atilla Koc here Sunday stressed the importance of promoting relations with Iran in various cultural and tourism fields. Koc, during a meeting with the governor-general of the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan, Mohammad Me'marzadeh, remarked that one million Iranian tourists visited Turkey last year. He expressed hope more Iranian tourists would visit Turkey in the coming years through enhanced bilateral ties. He also called on Iran to provide incentives for Turkish tourists to visit Iran. The Turkish minister noted that East Azarbaijan province and its capital city Tabriz were among the important business and religious centers of Iran. He noted the rich potential of Iranian cities for boosting tourism with Turkey, and said Tabriz has a special position in this respect. He also expressed his country's readiness to expand bilateral cooperation in various areas of higher education including exchange of university students. Koc also called on the two countries to harness the potentials of their smaller cities in the field of tourism. ***************************************************************** 9 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: Positive atmosphere over Iran n-case 2006/06/18 02:14:34 È.Ù Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Sunday a "positive atmosphere" has been created with respect to the country's nuclear case. Mottaki made the remark while speaking to reporters after a meeting with the visiting Moroccan Foreign Minister Mohammed Benaissa. "Iran has launched serious and precise study on a package of proposals by Europe to Tehran." After the review of the European's proposals is finished, the Islamic Republic of Iran will give its response to the European side and then announce it to the public," Mottaki said. "In such a positive atmosphere, talks between Iran, the EU, Group 5+1 and all members of the Board of Governors (of the International Atomic Energy Agency) can serve as the most appropriate opportunity to pave the way for forging an understanding," he said. Asked whether the package included suspension of enrichment activities, he said, "Let us, based on an agreement with the European colleagues, not disclose to the media and public the content of the proposed package until later agreements." KH Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center. E-Mail: Webmaster@IRIBNEWS.ir ***************************************************************** 10 IRNA: Deputy FM: Iran favors a Middle East free from nuclear weapons - Tehran, June 18, IRNA Iran-Safari-Nuclear Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia and Pacific Affairs Mehdi Safari here Sunday said that Iran's policy is based on a Middle East free from nuclear weapons. According to a report released by the Foreign Ministry's Media Department, Safari made the remark at a meeting with members of Iran-Turkey Parliamentary Friendship Group in Tehran, during which he briefed them on Iran's nuclear program for peaceful purposes. Turning to the decisive role of parliamentary friendship groups in the growing level of mutual ties, he stressed the significance of expanding Iran-Turkey ties in view of their historical commonalties. For his part, the Turkish head of the group, Ahmet Inal referred to the dual approach of the West to Iran's nuclear issue and underlined Iran's inalienable right to peaceful use of nuclear energy. He said that his country will continue to support Iran's nuclear stance. Turkey's parliamentary group is visiting Iran in response an invitation by the Iranian head of Iran-Turkey Parliamentary Friendship Group. 2326/2322/1412 ***************************************************************** 11 IRAN: Schroeder urges Iran-US cooperation Moscow, June 19, IRNA Germany-Iran-US Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder here Monday urged resumption of cooperation between Iran and the United States. Addressing an international economic conference in Moscow, he said imposition of sanctions on Iran would be harmful to the international economy, and urged big powers to avoid force or threats of the use of force to settle Iran's nuclear case. He said that imposition of sanctions on Iran to resolve the nuclear dispute would drive oil prices even higher. In that event, oil prices would reach 100 dollars per barrel or even more, he added. Schroeder, who chairs a consortium supplying gas to north Europe, expressed his opposition to possible imposition of economic sanctions on Iran, saying it would have adverse consequences on the economy of many countries. Instead, he said, a strategy that would encourage coordination between Iran and other international players should be found. He said turning to military options to force Iran to resume talks would be fruitless, and noted Europe's emphasis on political channels to settle Iran's case. Schroeder, who served as German chancellor from 1998 to 2005, stressed political solutions to the problems of Iran, Iraq and the conflicts between Israel and Palestine. According to reports, the former German chancellor now heads the shareholders' committee of a gas consortium made up of Russia's state-controlled Gazprom and German energy giants BASF and E.ON that is in the process of constructing a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea connecting Russia and Germany. ***************************************************************** 12 IRNA: EU expects answer from Iran by end of June Brussels, June 19, IRNA EU-US-IRAN The European Union expects a reply from the Islamic Republic on its new package by the end of this month and not before the EU-US summit to take place in Vienna on Wednesday. "Our expectations are that Iran should respond soon, not before the (EU-US) summit, but by the end of the month,'' EU sources told reporters in Brussels Monday. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the sources said Iran is certainly an issue that will be discusses at the leaders' session during the EU-US meeting. "We work very closely together? We are awaiting a signal from the Iranians,'' said the sources. Referring to the visit of EU High Representative for a common foreign and security policy to Tehran earlier this month to present the new EU package, the sources said "it was an important advance for EU diplomacy." The EU sources also welcomed the acceptance by the US to hold direct talks with Iran. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, current President of the European Council and Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang chussel and US President George W. Bush will meet at the EU-US Summit on 21 June in Vienna to discuss foreign policy cooperation, energy security, economy and trade, and other global challenges. On energy, leaders are expected to step up EU-US cooperation to a strategic level and to promote a set of principles for responsible energy policies worldwide. Iran, the Middle East and the promotion of democracy are expected to dominate the foreign policy agenda, said an European Commission statement. Other participants at the summit will include EU Commissioner for external relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson, Austrian Foreign Minister UrsuLA Plassnik as well as EU High Representative Javier Solana from the EU side and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice from the US side. ***************************************************************** 13 IRNA: US secret diplomacy aimed at mounting pressure on Iran - MP Tehran, June 19, IRNA Iran-US-MP A Majlis deputy said on Monday that a secret diplomacy being conducted by the United States on Iran's nuclear program is aimed at increasing pressure on Iran. A member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Reza Talaei-Nik, made the remarks as he spoke to IRNA. "Despite the current positive approach and stance of US and European officials toward Iran, the aim of their secret diplomacy is still to escalate pressure," he said. He, moreover, said that apparent changes in the literature and stance of the US and Europe on the nuclear issue are the result of changes in their tactics and approach. This change cannot be regarded as a change of strategy towards Iran, he cautioned. "At this current sensitive juncture, Iran should rely on continued national resistance and sound diplomacy to safeguard its nuclear rights and reduce possible challenges," the MP said. He said the situation and atmosphere at the moment are the fruit of the continued resistance of the nation and system. "Overall regional and international developments are in Iran's favor." The MP from Bahar and Kaboudar Ahang city said Tehran should take utmost advantage of regional and international developments, which he said are in Iran's favor, and press on for recognition of its nuclear right as well as promote the country's foreign policy. "Iran is currently in a unique and best position to confront challenges in the way of its foreign policy." He pointed out that Iran's nuclear case had reached a point where the West, led by the US, has shown flexibility and willingness to end the standoff over Iran's nuclear case by giving indications it favored diplomacy to resolve the issue and a favorable atmosphere for resumption of talks. He further said that he believed the gap between Iran and the West had been reduced to an unprecedented size in the past 27 years since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. He then urged Tehran to continue to use wise diplomacy and efficient management of its foreign policies to obtain maximum advantage of this unique situation while continuing to exercise caution to avoid negative consequences. Talaei-Nik nonetheless criticized US moves to prevent an international consensus from being reached on the nuclear issue and said it was thwarting efforts of the the international community to reach a diplomatic solution by insisting in blocking Iran's access to peaceful nuclear technology. He reiterated that access to nuclear research and development of the fuel cycle consituted the country's red line beyond which nuclear diplomacy could not tread. "In negotiations, giving preference to diplomatic channels should not mean giving up Iran's right to carry out enrichment work at least at the research and development scale," he concluded. ***************************************************************** 14 [NYTr] North Koreans Said to Be Near a Missile Test Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 20:45:28 -0400 (EDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit The New York Times - Jun 19, 2006 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/19/world/asia/19korea.html North Koreans Said to Be Near a Missile Test By HELENE COOPER and MICHAEL R. GORDON WASHINGTON, June 18 - North Korea appears to have completed fueling a long-range ballistic missile, American officials said Sunday, a move that greatly increases the probability that it will go ahead with its first important test launching in eight years. A senior American official said that intelligence from satellite photographs suggested that booster rockets had been loaded onto a launching pad, and liquid-fuel tanks fitted to a missile at a site on North Korea's remote east coast. While there have been steady reports in recent days about preparations for a test, fueling is regarded as a critical step as well as a probable bellwether of North Korea's intentions. Siphoning the liquid fuel out of a missile is a complex undertaking. "Yes, looks like all systems are 'go' and fueling appears to be done," said the official who discussed the matter only after being promised anonymity because he was addressing delicate diplomatic and intelligence issues. A second senior official, who declined to speak on the record for similar reasons, also indicated that the United States believed the missile had been fueled. A launching would be a milestone in the North's missile capacity and effectively scrap a moratorium on such tests declared by the North Koreans after their last test in 1998. Moreover, a launching would have enormous importance for American security because it would be North Korea's first flight test of a new long-range missile that might eventually have the capacity to strike the United States. A launching could also ignite a political chain reaction in Japan, the United States and China, which have been trying to re-engage North Korea in stalled talks about its nuclear weapons program. The Bush administration might step up financing for missile defense; Japan might increase its missile defense efforts as well, while militant Japanese politicians might push to reconsider the nation's nuclear weapons options. Such moves would most likely alienate China. The reported fueling of the missile has set off a flurry of diplomatic activity, as officials from the United States, Japan and China worked furiously to try to forestall a launching. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke to her Japanese and Chinese counterparts this weekend, urging the Chinese, in particular, to try to press North Korea. Officials at the State Department recently telephoned North Korean diplomats at that country's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York, warning them directly against going ahead with a launching. Such direct contact is highly unusual, since American officials limit their direct talks with their North Korean counterparts. But "we needed to make sure there was no misunderstanding," a senior American official said. American intelligence officials say they believe that the system is a Taepodong 2 missile and that a three-stage version could strike all of the United States. One administration official said the missile at the launching pad was a two-stage version. While North Korea claims to have developed nuclear weapons, it has never allowed outsiders to see them. American experts believe that North Korea has enough plutonium for at least half a dozen nuclear weapons and has produced a small but growing nuclear arsenal. It is not known if the North Koreans can build a nuclear warhead small enough to fit on a missile, but experts say it seems plausible that they could do so. "Assuming the missile is a Taepodong 2 and assuming the missile test is successful, North Korea would demonstrate that they have made important progress toward the ability to hit targets in the continental United States with a missile large enough to carry a nuclear weapon," said Gary Samore, a former senior aide on the National Security Council and a vice president of the MacArthur Foundation. It remained unclear late on Sunday how long North Korea might wait before launching a fueled missile, what the diplomatic prospects were for averting a launching, or what the missile's intended landing spot or projected range might be. In Japan, Foreign Minister Taro Aso warned that a miscalculation could result in the missile landing on Japanese territory. "If it is dropped on Japan, it will complicate the story," he told Japanese TV on Sunday. "It will be regarded as an attack." Mr. Aso later toned down his language, saying, "We will not right away view it as a military act," but adding that Japan would seek an immediate meeting of the Security Council if the missile were launched. In its last test of a long-range missile, in 1998, North Korea fired a Taepodong 1 missile over Japan - a launching that the Clinton administration had warned against to no avail. American intelligence was surprised to learn when the missile was launched that it had three stages, although the solid-fueled third stage exploded in flight. That led Congress to step up its push for deployment of antimissile defenses. In 1999, North Korea agreed to a moratorium on long-range missile testing, and has not fired one since. But five weeks ago American officials received satellite images that showed North Korea preparing to test a multiple-stage Taepodong 2 missile. Some Bush administration officials suspected that the moves were a grab for attention while Washington's focus was primarily on Iran's nuclear intentions, and a way to press the United States to agree to direct talks. But since then, diplomats have become increasingly concerned that North Korea indeed planned to conduct a launching. "Why they are doing this, you will have to ask them," one senior Bush administration official said Sunday. "It is not in anyone's interest; certainly not theirs. For our part, we will not be derailed by their temper tantrums, nor have any of our own." Referring to the deadlocked six-party talks about North Korea's nuclear program, the official said: "We'll continue to be guided by our policy of protecting our people and of working closely, very closely with our partners in the six parties. It is important in times like this not to give any mixed signals and to be firm and clear. We support the six-party process as the best means to solve what should be clear to all is a multilateral problem." American knowledge about the Taepodong 2 is limited. In 2001, a National Intelligence Estimate forecast that a three-stage version of it could reach North America with a sizable payload. The first stage of the Taepodong 2 is thought to consist of a cluster of Nodong missiles, which are single-stage, shorter-range rockets; the second stage is believed to be a Nodong missile. A third stage would probably be a solid-fueled system. There was no mention of a missile in a report from North Korea's official media on a national meeting on Sunday, according to news service reports from the region. At the meeting, officials talked about increasing the North's "military deterrent" - a phrase used by the country to refer to its nuclear program. North Korea contends it needs the program for a defense against a possible American attack; the United States says it has no intention of invading. American analysts say that if a missile launching occurs it is possible that North Korea will describe it as part of a peaceful program to put satellites in orbit. North Korea is a secretive Stalinist state, and figuring out the motives of its leader, Kim Jong Il, has stymied diplomats for years. "It may well be that Kim Jong Il is getting a lot of pressure from his generals to verify the design" of the Taepodong 2 missile, said Robert J. Einhorn, a former assistant secretary of state for nonproliferation under President Bill Clinton. But, he added, "Whenever the North Koreans act up, one has to assume in part at least that they are trying to get the world's attention." Just two weeks ago - a day after the United States offered to hold direct talks with Iran over its nuclear program - North Korea invited Christopher R. Hill, an assistant secretary of state and chief negotiator on the North's nuclear weapons program, for direct talks in Pyongyang. That offer was rebuffed by the White House, which insisted that the North return to the long-deadlocked six-nation talks. The other nations involved in the talks are China, South Korea, Japan and Russia. North Korea has boycotted the talks in recent months after the United States cracked down on financial institutions that dealt with the government in Pyongyang, and with North Korean companies suspected of counterfeiting American dollars and laundering money. If North Korea goes ahead with a launching, the already floundering talks would go into the deep freeze. [David E. Sanger contributed reporting for this article.] Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 15 Guardian Unlimited: North Korea warned over missile test Staff and agencies Monday June 19, 2006 Countries fearing that North Korea is about to test a long-range missile capable of reaching the US threatened retaliatory action and further isolation of the regime today. Australia, the US, Japan and New Zealand warned the communist country that testing a Taepodong-2 missile would bring consequences that could include sanctions and referral to the UN security council. Japanese and South Korean media yesterday reported that North Korea had assembled the missile on a launch site, with the US claiming Pyongyang could have started to fuel it. Alexander Downer, the Australian foreign minister, sent a message to Chon Jae-Hong, North Korea's ambassador to Canberra, "to warn him against a long-range missile test and to explain the serious consequences that would follow such a firing". He did not elaborate, but said a launch would be "highly provocative". The chances of a launch were unclear, in part because of the weather at the missile site today. There were cloudy skies and chances of showers in the area, with fog along the coast, Kim Duck-wan, an official at the South Korea Meteorological Administration, said. Japan - well within range of North Korean missiles - has taken a leading role in calling for a halt to preparations. North Korea fired a missile over northern Japan in 1998, increasing fears in Tokyo. "Japan has been urging North Korea to stop the attempt to launch a missile," the Japanese prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, said. "We are making efforts to urge North Korea to act rationally and with self-restraint." Mr Koizumi said if the North "does not listen to us and fires a missile", Japan would consult with Washington and "take stern measures". He refused to specify possible steps. New Zealand's envoy to North Korea, Jane Coombs, will state her country's opposition to the test when she meets officials in Pyongyang later this week, the New Zealand foreign minister, Winston Peters, said. Pyongyang was today silent on the possibility of a launch, but vowed to bolster its military deterrent in a statement delivered through its state news agency. It accused the Bush administration of "evil schemes" to block its military. "We should crush the US imperialists' anti-communist policy ... and clearly show [North Korea's] spirit of victory and teach them a lesson," the Rodong Sinmun newspaper said, according to the Korean Central News Agency. A missile test would inflame a region already tense over the North's continuing nuclear weapons programme. Six-party talks over the programme have been stalled for months. The Taepodong-2 is North Korea's most advanced missile, and is believed to be capable of reaching parts of the US with a light payload. Pyongyang claims it has nuclear weapons, but is not believed to have a design that would be small and light enough to top a missile. It imposed a moratorium on testing long-range missiles in 1999, and a White House spokesman, Tony Snow, today said the Bush administration expected the North to abide by that freeze. The activity in North Korea came as Washington began a major set of exercises off the Pacific island of Guam today. The five-day operation, called Valiant Shield, involves 30 ships, including three aircraft carriers, 22,000 troops and 280 aircraft. [UP] Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 16 AFP: Japan, allies warn North Korea on missile launch by Kyoko Hasegawa Mon Jun 19, 7:25 AM ET TOKYO (AFP) - Japan warned it would join the United States in taking "severe action" if North Korea" /> North Korealaunched a long-range missile in defiance of growing international appeals. Japan, the United States and Australia all issued fresh warnings as a US newspaper report said that the self-declared nuclear state was close to going ahead with a new missile test. North Korea, which declared last year it had nuclear weapons and is boycotting international talks on its atomic program, test-fired a missile over Japan into the Pacific Ocean in 1998 without previous warning. "I still hope North Korea will not do so. But if they don't listen to us, if they fire a missile, Japan will have to take severe action in discussion with the United States," Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said at a press conference. He did not specify what the action would be but said North Korea had been warned against a launch. "Cooperating with the United States and South Korea" /> South Korea, Japan has urged the North in many ways not to launch a missile," Koizumi said. "I think it would be better as prime minister not to say what action to take at this stage," he said. But both Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe and US ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer warned that that the impoverished dictatorship could face economic sanctions. "I think sanctions would have to be considered but I wouldn't want to describe what actions we might take," Schieffer told Japanese reporters, as quoted by a US embassy official. Pyongyang has boycotted six-nation nuclear tests since November in protest at a set of US financial sanctions targeting a Macau-based bank over alleged money-laundering and counterfeiting for the regime. Analysts have speculated that Pyongyang may be looking for attention on the world stage while the United States is refusing to budge on sanctions and focusing instead on ending Iran" /> Iran's nuclear drive. US officials have concluded from satellite images that the communist state had finished fuelling a Taepodong-2 missile, which has a range of 3,500 to 6,000 kilometers (2,200 to 3,750 miles), suggesting it was set to proceed with a test, the New York Times reported. Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi said a test could come at any time. "The situation remains unchanged. We won't be surprised whenever North Korea launches a missile," Yachi said. Amid the international outrcy, North Korean state media rang alarm bells by declaring that the 1998 launch had "powerfully" demonstrated the regime's might and the "wise guidance" of leader Kim Jong-Il. Choe Thae Bok, a ranking official of the North's ruling Workers Party, accused Washington of being "hell-bent on provocations," the official Korean Central News Agency said Sunday. "If the enemies ignite a war eventually, the Korean army and people will mercilessly wipe out the aggressors and give vent to the deep-rooted grudge of the nation," Choe was quoted as telling the meeting. Australia -- which, unlike the United States and Japan, maintains diplomatic relations with the North -- said it had summoned its ambassador and warned against a test. "North Korea would be gravely mistaken if it thinks that a missile test would improve its bargaining position in the six-party talks," Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in a statement. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 17 Guardian Unlimited: Rice Warns N. Korea Against Missile Test From the Associated Press [UP] Monday June 19, 2006 6:46 PM AP Photo SEL109 By ANNE GEARAN AP Diplomatic Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice leveled a warning Monday that ``it would be a very serious matter and indeed a provocative act'' if North Korea tested a long-range ballistic missile. Rice's remarks came after Bush administration officials said North Korea has apparently finished loading fuel into a ballistic missile, the latest signs that the reclusive communist state will soon test a weapon that could reach the United States. Testing would abrogate several North Korean commitments and ``it would be taken with utmost seriousness,'' Rice said at a news conference. U.S. intelligence indicates that the long-range missile, believed to be a Taepodong-2, is assembled and fully fueled, said two officials, who requested anonymity because the information comes from sensitive intelligence methods. Rice cited North Korea's pledge of a missile moratorium in 1999 and its reiteration of the moratorium in 2002. She said North Korea also agreed in six-party negotiations not to test long-range missiles. She said the United States was working very closely with its allies on the problem, but did not say what might be done if North Korea tested the missile. The fueling reportedly gives the North a launch window of about a month. Unlike other preparatory steps the United States has tracked, the fueling process is very difficult to reverse, and most likely means the test will go ahead, one senior administration official said. The precise timing is unclear, the official said. The United States assumes North Korea would only perform a test, not fire the weapon as an act of war, and could claim afterward that it was launching a space mission, the official said. That would still be considered a violation of the moratorium North Korea has observed since 1999, the official said. The test would probably take place over water, not land, and occur during daylight hours, the official said. North Korea is 14 hours ahead of the East Coast. The United States would probably know ``within seconds'' that a launch had taken place, the official said. At the Pentagon, spokesman Bryan Whitman would not comment on whether U.S. intelligence indicates that the North Koreans are preparing for a possible missile launch. Whitman said the Pentagon uses the term ``launch,'' instead of test, because of the possibility that the North Koreans have hostile intent. Whitman would not say whether the United States might activate its missile defense systems in the event of a North Korean launch. Although the three-stage Taepodong 2 could theoretically reach the U.S. West Coast, most experts think North Korea is still a long way off from perfecting the technology that would make the missile accurate and able to carry a nuclear payload. Robert Zoellick, the departing deputy secretary of state, said North Korea's fueling of the missile became known only recently. At U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said he was holding preliminary consultations with Security Council members on steps that might be taken if North Korea fires a missile, ``because it would obviously be very serious.'' ``But we don't really know what the North Korean intentions are at this point, so I think we need to wait for the event,'' he said. ``Obviously the first preference is that the North Koreans not light the missile off,'' Bolton said, noting that the United States, Japan, Australia, South Korea and other countries had urged North Korea to abandon any missile firing. Aboard Air Force One with President Bush, White House spokesman Tony Snow declined specific comment on reports that the fueling is complete. ``North Korea has imposed a moratorium on launching missiles,'' Snow said. ``We hope it will continue that moratorium and we hope it also will abide by commitments it made,'' last year to dismantle nuclear weapons and renounce further development of them. Snow said President Bush has made some of the administration's recent telephone calls to more than a dozen heads of state about the indications of a coming launch. Snow would not identify which leaders spoke with Bush. He also said U.S. officials have talked directly with North Korean representatives in New York, a reference to a diplomatic channel through the North's United Nations mission. Snow would not disclose contents of the discussion, but diplomats from numerous countries have been telling the North Koreans to back off any plans for a missile test launch. North Korea referred to its missile program for the first time Monday, but has not said it intends to perform the test. A North Korean state television broadcast, monitored in Seoul, South Korea, cited a Russian editorial on the missile and said the North ``has the due right to have a missile that can immediately halt the United States' reckless aerial espionage activity.'' The North has repeatedly complained in recent weeks about alleged U.S. spy planes watching its activities. A test would be the North's first significant missile launch since a 1998 test that send a missile over Japanese territory. Pyongyang began a self-imposed test moratorium in 1999, even while continuing separate development of a nuclear weapons program. North Korea says it needed nuclear weapons and a such potential delivery systems as a missile to counter what it claims are U.S. intentions to invade or topple the government. The United States has repeatedly denied any plans to invade. ^--- AP reporters Tom Raum, Robert Burns and Barry Schweid in Washington, Edith Lederer at the United Nations and Bert Herman in Seoul contributed to this report. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 18 Platts: Senate Foreign Relations chairman endorses US-India pact Washington (Platts)--16Jun2006 US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar Friday called on Congress to approve an agreement between the US and India providing the southeast Asian country with nuclear fuel, technology and reactors. "We should be concerned about the precedent set by this action, and we must ensure that this agreement does not undercut our own responsibilities under the [Nuclear] Nonproliferation Treaty. But I believe that we can do that satisfactorily," Lugar said in remarks prepared for a commencement address at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. While Lugar is a leading proponent of nuclear nonproliferation in Congress, he had not taken a position on the India agreement until Friday, an aide said. The agreement is pending before his committee. "Both houses of Congress are working through language that would guide our policy toward India," Lugar said. "I believe we can help solidify New Delhi's commitments to implement strong export controls, separate civilian nuclear infrastructure from its weapons program, and place civilian facilities under [International Atomic Energy Agency] safeguards." The Indiana Republican said the agreement, which President Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed in March, would be "a powerful incentive" for India to cooperate closely with the US to stop proliferation of nuclear materials. Copyright © 2006 - Platts, All Rights Reserved [The McGraw-Hill Companies] ***************************************************************** 19 [NYTr] Amnesty: Miscrosoft Helped Israeli Police in Vanunu Probe Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:39:45 -0400 (EDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit sent by Steven Robinson (activ-l) - Jun 19, 2006 Y-Net News http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3256136,00.html Amnesty: Microsoft helped Israeli Police in Vanunu probe Amnesty International's British branch chief, Keith Allen, said Microsoft helped Israeli Police interrogate Mordechai Vanunu, who leaked nuclear secrets to the foreign press. Allen, writing in the British Sunday newspaper, the Observer, wrote: "Amnesty is concerned about its co-operation with the Israeli authorities in prosecuting nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu for communicating with foreign journalists. Vanunu was imprisoned for more than 18 years after disclosing Israel's nuclear capabilities to the UK media, and only released on condition he stays in Israel and does not talk to foreigners. Microsoft is reported to have complied with government demands for his computer records, which could lead to him being sent back to prison." Amnesty International did not give further details about its claims. The organization's website claimed that the judge in Vanunu's case agreed not to base his decision on information obtained by Microsoft, but added that the details in the hands of the authorities could limit Vanunu's freedom in the future. Readers of the site were asked to send a formulated petition on what Amnesty International called Microsoft's "repression of human rights" in Israel and other countries. * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 20 BBC: Call for 'urgent' energy action Last Updated: Monday, 19 June 2006 [Wind farms behind a power station] The inquiry is calling for supply to be diversified Scotland is likely to lose all of its electricity-generating capacity from large plants within 25 years, an independent inquiry has found. The research, Inquiry into Energy Issues for Scotland, was carried out by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE). It said urgent steps must be taken to achieve a secure, competitive and low carbon emissions energy supply. Renewable technologies should be developed, but new nuclear plants should not be ruled out altogether. The inquiry by the RSE, which is an independent and non-party political educational charity, was set up to review energy supply and demand in Scotland until 2050. The report predicts that between 2000 and 2050 demand for power will increase by 50%. This report offers merely conventional centralised vision of electricity generation which would fail Scotland and the Scottish economy Duncan McLaren Friends of the Earth Scotland But at the same time the production of North Sea gas and oil is dropping and coal and nuclear plants are approaching the end of their economic lives. The report made 37 recommendations "critical to the security of supply". These should include a variety of sources, such as renewable power and new-build clean coal, gas and nuclear stations. Among those were improving performance on waste management and improving energy loss in buildings. No 'magic bullet' Sir Michael Atiyah, president of the RSE, said urgent action was needed to avoid an energy gap. He said: "We have to do something, it's vital that we do and decisions have to be taken very soon because of the long timescales involved. "Diversity of supply will be key as there is no 'magic bullet'. "We must all work together to achieve a balance of security of supply, continued economic growth, low carbon emissions and affordable fuel for all." He appealed to the leaders of all the main political parties to engage in an open debate with people in Scotland and across present party-political divides to seek a consensus solution. 'Better solution' Friends of the Earth Scotland criticised the RSE report. Chief executive Duncan McLaren said: "Despite making some strong recommendations on energy efficiency and the need for a Scottish energy policy, this report offers merely a conventional centralised vision of electricity generation which would fail Scotland and the Scottish economy. "By seeking to leave new nuclear build as an option - despite public opposition - investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency will be undermined." [wind turbine] Environmentalists want more focus on green energy methods Maf Smith, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, said the report contained interesting recommendations but said it was a "bit of a curate¿s egg". He added: "Unfortunately many of its recommendations fail to see what is already happening in Scotland: our energy future has a strong renewable heart, and we need to see investment in a range of renewable technologies, so that we can ensure security of supply from clean energy sources." Responding to the report, a Scottish Executive spokesman said: "It is clearly important for us to have a mature and well-informed debate around the choices and opportunities related to the creation of a secure, affordable, low carbon energy future for Scotland. "The work of the UK Energy Review is ongoing and we expect its conclusions later this summer. "We will therefore consider the RSE's report in greater detail in due course, in the context of the UK Energy Review, and alongside other contributions to the energy debate." The SNP's energy and environment spokesman Richard Lochhead said the report "got it wrong" on the nuclear issue. He added: "The bottom line is that with Scotland's enormous renewables potential, there is no need for nuclear in 21st-century Scotland." Alex Johnstone, Scottish Conservative's energy spokesman, called for a "more balanced approach in supporting other renewable technologies", while the Liberal Democrats described the report as "oddly backward looking". ***************************************************************** 21 [NukeNet] NJ Wants NRC To Weigh Terror Threat at Oyster Creek Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 14:21:24 -0700 NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net) Asbury Park Press, Jun. 18, 2006 N.J. WANTS NRC TO WEIGH TERROR THREAT IN LICENSING By Todd B. Bates, Environmental Writer Should the vulnerability of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant to terrorist attacks be considered during its bid for a renewed operating license? New Jersey thinks so and may get its wish granted, thanks to a federal appeals court ruling this month. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's position that a federal law "does not require a consideration of the environmental impact of terrorist attacks" is unreasonable, according to a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on a California nuclear plant dispute. "Our concern was that... the design of this particular reactor (Oyster Creek) and its spent fuel pool storage make it particularly vulnerable to attack" and that should be considered during the plant's relicensing review, said Lisa P. Jackson, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection. NRC spokesman Neil A. Sheehan said it's "premature to say that this (court decision) would have any implications for the Oyster Creek license renewal application" because the NRC has not decided whether to appeal it. The decision applies only to the Diablo Canyon plant in California and not necessarily any other facility at this point, he said. Oyster Creek's vulnerability to terrorist attack is one of New Jersey's prime concerns regarding the Lacey plant's quest for a 20- year license extension. The plant's current operating license expires in April 2009. Oyster Creek's vulnerability to aircraft attacks, especially the vulnerability of its spent nuclear fuel pool, must be analyzed before the NRC decides whether to renew the plant's license, former state Environmental Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell said in a letter to the NRC last year. "You need to look at whether (a) plant that's configured the way it is ... is more vulnerable than others in a densely populated area before you make a decision to keep it operating," Jackson said in an interview Friday. A DEP nuclear engineer, when asked last year about the possibility of a terrorist attack on Oyster Creek, said the spent fuel pool would be the biggest concern. "It's only logical that when you're evaluating a relicensing application that you would take into account the risk of terrorism and a... feasible evacuation plan," said Janet Tauro, a Brick resident and member of Grandmothers, Mothers and More for Energy Safety. The group is against Oyster Creek's license renewal proposal. Last year, the DEP requested a hearing before a federal Atomic Safety and Licensing Board panel on three contentions, or concerns. They are Oyster Creek's vulnerability to aircraft attack, metal fatigue in nuclear reactor parts and back-up power to safely shut down the reactor during a blackout. The three-judge panel, a quasi-judicial arm of the NRC, rejected the DEP's request for a hearing. The DEP has appealed the decision to the NRC commissioners. Last week, the DEP asked the NRC to "consider this controlling precedent" -- the appeals court ruling -- when deciding on the DEP's appeal, according to a state document. The DEP also asked that "the NRC fulfill its legal obligation, pursuant to this decision, to complete a (National Environmental Policy Act) analysis of the potential environmental effects of a terrorist attack at Oyster Creek," the state document says. Earlier this month, the San Francisco-based appeals court ruled in a dispute over an NRC license for an interim spent fuel storage facility at the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California. The NRC "contends that the possibility of a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility is so remote and speculative that the potential consequences of such an attack need not be considered at all" in an environmental review, the court's opinion says. "We find it difficult to reconcile the Commission's conclusion that . . . the possibility of a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility is "remote and speculative," with its stated efforts to undertake a "top to bottom' security review against this same threat," the opinion says. The possibility of terrorist attack is not so remote and highly speculative that it is beyond the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act, it says. "They ought to give (the court's decision) a really good, close look," said Michele Donato, a lawyer who lives and has an office in Lavallette. She opposes Oyster Creek relicensing. Oyster Creek spokeswoman Rachelle Benson said "we're evaluating the (court) decision to determine its impact, if any... but we don't believe that it has any impact on our application" for license renewal. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the NRC required nuclear plants to find ways to minimize the potential impacts of attacks, including an airborne assault, according to an NRC rule proposal. The NRC also depends on enhanced airport and airplane security since the attacks. Since Sept. 11, 2001, about $20 million has been spent on security upgrades at Oyster Creek, plant officials have said. Spent fuel pool Oyster Creek's concrete-lined, water-filled pool for highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel is 40 feet deep. It holds about 375 tons of spent fuel in the shape of long, thin rods. The elevated pool is next to the reactor in a reinforced concrete building topped by a metal roof, not a dome like at many other plants. The pool is outside the plant's containment system, which is designed to prevent a release of radiation into the environment if an accident happens. But it's likely that at least some radiation would escape or be vented to the outdoor air if the reactor core is damaged -- a remote possibility, according to a February e-mail from Exelon to the NRC. The core contains the nuclear fuel. AmerGen Energy, a subsidiary of Exelon, runs Oyster Creek. However, it is highly unlikely that an airplane crashing into the reactor building would cause any significant damage to the fuel in the fuel pool, according to a fact sheet on the Oyster Creek license renewal Web site. In a 2005 report to Congress, a National Academies' panel said "successful terrorist attacks on spent fuel pools, though difficult, are possible." An attack leading to a certain kind of fire "could result in the release of large amounts of radioactive material," the panel's report says. The NRC staff has considered the potential cumulative impacts of Oyster Creek's operations, including a 20-year license extension, according to a draft supplemental environmental impact statement released this month. And the staff concluded the potential cumulative impacts would be small. Plant opponents and environmental activists criticized the NRC draft report, which is open to public comment. Acts of terrorism are outside the scope of the environmental review for license renewal applications, according to an NRC document on the Web. "The commission has been very clear that security matters need to be dealt with on an ongoing basis," the NRC's Sheehan said. And the NRC has been reviewing security issues involving spent fuel pools, according to a subsequent e-mail sent by Sheehan. The first of three phases required plants to identify, and later implement, strategies that would maintain or restore cooling for the reactor core, containment building and spent fuel pool after explosions or fire, the e-mail says. Phase two calls for assessments of plant resources that could be used to mitigate damage to spent fuel pools and surrounding areas, the e- mail says. Phase three entails nuclear plants identifying ways to improve the ability to protect the reactor core and containment from terrorist attack, the e-mail says. The NRC is in the second phase and reviewing information provided by the companies, the e-mail says. Last year, Brick Mayor Joseph C. Scarpelli, a plant opponent, and others filed a petition with the NRC aimed at expanding the number of issues the agency considers when it reviews license renewal applications. The NRC considers a plant's aging management program and potential environmental impact during the license renewal process. Factors such as demographics, siting, emergency evacuation and site security also should be considered, according to the petition. Because of the appeals court decision, Scarpelli said he feels more confident that the NRC will have to consider the petition. "I've been saying all along that their scope is too narrow," he said. This story includes material from previous Press stories. Todd B. Bates: (732) 643-4237 or tbates@app.com Copyright 2006 Asbury Park Press. Return to Table of Contents Coalition for Peace and Justice; UNPLUG Salem Campaign, 321 Barr Ave, Linwood; NJ08221; 609-601-8583 _______________________________________________________________________ Subscribe/Unsubscribe Here: http://www.energyjustice.net/nukenet/ Change your settings or access the archives at: http://energyjustice.net/mailman/listinfo/nukenet_energyjustice.net ***************************************************************** 22 Guardian Unlimited: Tried, tested and failed Comment Nuclear power is now so discredited that even the World Bank won't lend money to build reactors Chris Huhne Tuesday June 20, 2006 The Guardian The prime minister is normally proud of pursuing evidence-based policy, but that is hardly how you would describe his approach to nuclear power. His decision to have another energy review - merely three years after the last one rejected nuclear - and his repeated pre-emption of its results by backing nuclear do not augur well for a fair appraisal. The latest example is the new nuclear forum with France's pro-nuclear Jacques Chirac. The reality is that nuclear is a tried, tested and failed technology. There is nothing to stop private investors from building nuclear reactors today, but not a single private consortium has done so anywhere in the world without lashings of taxpayers' largesse since the accidents at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. The government's claim that it will not subsidise new reactors falls apart in the face of potential investors announcing - as E.ON UK did yesterday - that they cannot cover decommissioning costs. Investors have taken a shrewd view of the risk, and have decided not to build. The operating and running costs of nuclear power are far from attractive and these costs do not include the unknown future costs of decommissioning reactors and storing waste that remains radioactive for thousands of years. Nor are the potential costs of accidents included: there are still 200,000 radioactive British sheep because of soil contaminated by Chernobyl. The latest estimate of the clean-up costs of retiring our existing reactors has soared to £70bn, and will not stop there. There is still no long-term solution to nuclear waste. And nuclear reactors are uninsurable. Why write another blank cheque? The group building the new Finnish reactor has a guaranteed price for its output. If the decommissioning fund proves too small, the government will make up the difference. It will also be responsible for all waste after 60 years. With a deal like that, your profits are as safe as government bonds. Even worse for nuclear - and for any taxpayers foolish enough to subsidise it - the technology has an unblemished record of budgetary incontinence. Not one reactor in this country has been built on time or to budget. Nor is this testimony to the tribulations of British planning. The Finnish reactor is already running more than six months late. Nuclear has failed worldwide to such an extent that the World Bank refuses to lend on nuclear projects. As Al Gore recently pointed out, Iran once again shows the close association between nuclear energy projects and serious worries about the proliferation of nuclear weapons. So what is the alternative to a new generation of UK nuclear reactors? Combined heat and power - whereby your home boiler generates electricity - is already economical for large houses, and smaller boilers will be on the market next year. Local generation eliminates the enormous losses of wasted heat and long transmission that consume more than half the energy used in electricity generation by fossil fuels or nuclear. Wind turbines and solar cells on the roof can also provide home solutions, and will become economical if homeowners are given a reasonable price for any surplus sold back to the grid and as costs come down with mass production. Subsidy is better directed at nurturing these new technologies - with their potential for export success - than at nuclear. Big solutions - the magic wands of public policy - appeal to the prime minister's millenarian urge for a legacy. But if we opt for a new generation of nuclear reactors, future generations may rue the day. We will be encumbering them with high costs and enormous and unknowable liabilities. We will miss a key opportunity to pioneer a green future. · Chris Huhne is shadow environment secretary for the Liberal Democrats chris@chrishuhne.org.uk#comments [UP] Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 23 CTV Toronto: Nuclear power plans criticized by watchdog - - Canadian Television Mon. Jun. 19 2006 4:39 PM ET [Darlington Nuclear Generating Station is located in Clarington, Ontario.] Canadian Press TORONTO — Ontario's environmental watchdog is criticizing the Liberal government for exempting its new electricity plan from environmental assessment hearings. Environment Commissioner Gord Miller says the government violated the principle of accountability by passing a regulation to bypass the Environmental Assessment Act. Miller says the province "escaped the process'' where people get a chance to review and comment on its plan to build new nuclear plants to meet future electricity demand. The Liberal cabinet quietly passed a regulation last Monday that exempts the province's 20-year energy strategy from an environmental assessment. Environment Minister Laurel Broten said it was passed to "clarify'' the government's position that the energy plan does not need a provincial environmental review. She pointed out that specific projects, including individual nuclear plants, will still be subject to environmental assessments. Insiders say an environmental review of the entire plan would take years to complete, further delaying the implementation of badly needed new electricity generation. Opposition critics said the Liberals must have known their plan was at risk of a review, otherwise they wouldn't have exempted their $70-billion electricity plan from environmental assessments. © 2006 Bell Globemedia Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 24 ePolitix.com: Campbell warns on nuclear costs [Sir Menzies Campbell] A new generation of nuclear power stations will only be possible with vast government subsidies, Sir Menzies Campbell says today. The Liberal Democrat leader, who raised the subject of paying for more reactors at prime minister's questions last week, will warn that they cost taxpayers and consumers tens of billions of pounds. The prime minister has repeatedly insisted that nuclear must be "part of the debate" about Britain's future energy supplies. But the political argument is heating up ahead of the government's energy review, which is set to be published in July. Speaking at Lib Dem HQ in London, Sir Menzies is expected to say: "Every UK citizen is already paying over £1,500 to clean up the nuclear waste of the last 50 years – and that bill regularly gets revised upwards. "If the prime minister gets his way and a new generation of nuclear power stations are built, both the taxpayer and consumer will get stung again. Nuclear power is the ultimate stealth tax. "Evidence from abroad shows nuclear power is not competitive. Last year the US government was forced to offer nuclear subsidies of $13.7bn to persuade investors. "The new nuclear power plant being built in Finland needed hidden subsidies through export guarantees from France, 30-year-long contracts and government guarantees over future decommissioning and waste. "The real question for the forthcoming energy review is, where will Blair hide his nuclear subsidy?" Sir Menzies will instead back developing a mixture of renewable energy sources and a decentralised energy system. A decentralised network is one where electricity is created closer to the point of use with technologies like small-scale windmills, solar panels or combined heat and power systems, which capture waste heat for conversion into electricity. After his speech, Sir Menzies will travel to Woking to look at a combined heat and power station and fuel cell project that power a leisure centre. Published: Tue, 20 Jun 2006 00:01:00 GMT+01 Author: Andrew Alexander ©2006 ePolitix.com ***************************************************************** 25 Nashuatelegraph.com: Hospital helps visiting Chernobyl children Published: Monday, Jun. 19, 2006 NASHUA On June 22, 14 children from the Chernobyl area will visit St. Joseph Hospital for free health physicals and diagnostic workups. The children will begin in the lab area then move to The Cardiovascular Center where four pediatricians will be waiting to see them. Once they are done with the blood work and physical examinations, the children and their host families will be treated to an American-style dinner complete with hot dogs, chips and ice cream. “This is the fourth year St. Joes has participated in this program,” said Jeanne Wilson, director of Laboratory Services at St. Joseph Hospital. “The explosion was an unfortunate accident that will have repercussion for years to come. We are seeing the children of the children who lived through that experience. Our hospital is fortunate to have the resources available to treat these children. The hospitals mission extends beyond our community and into other communities who benefit by it.” In previous years, each child received a backpack filled with gifts generously donated by the staff at the hospital. The pharmacy department filled a box with much needed medication including Tylenol, cough medicine, antibiotic ointment and vitamins. The backpacks also contained personal items such as toothpaste, soap, shampoo, conditioner and sunscreen. “These children suffer from illness caused from intake of contaminated food and water due to a nuclear accident in the mid 1980s,” said Janet Kenney, nurse educator/infection control. “Their families are unable to move to uncontaminated land so they have no choice but to remain in these contaminated areas.” The Chernobyl Children Project USA Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides respite and relief to the children affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986. For more information on how you can help, contact Janet Kenney at 882-3000. TELEGRAPH PARTNERS: NH.com | NH Business Review | NH Events | New Hampshire Magazine | Parenting NH PO Box 1008, Nashua, NH 03061 (603) 594-6440 Privacy Policy and User Agreement The Telegraph Online Ver. 2.5 © 2006, Telegraph Publishing Company ***************************************************************** 26 Platts: Borssele granted 60-year lifetime operation Paris (Platts)--16Jun2006 The agreement guaranteeing operation of Borssele until 2033 was signed today by Dutch utility EPZ, its shareholders Essent and Delta, and junior minister for environment Pieter van Geel. The 480-MW Siemens PWR will be 60 years old in 2033. The so-called "Covenant," a civil contract between the Dutch state and the companies, guarantees against political interference in the plant's operation. In return, the utilities commit to keep Borssele's safety within the top quartile of plants of its kind in the world, a condition that will be monitored by a special committee. Essent and Delta also pledged to invest 250 million euros in sustainable energy projects, thus doubling the "CO2 advantage" of not shutting Borssele. The only nuclear power plant in the Netherlands, Borssele has escaped forced shutdown twice in recent years, with management successfully contesting a politically inspired deal to shut it in 2003 and, more recently, the policy of the present coalition government to shut the reactor in 2013. The 60-year lifetime deal was proposed at the end of last year but protracted procedures had prevented its ratification until now. Copyright © 2006 - Platts, All Rights Reserved [The McGraw-Hill Companies] ***************************************************************** 27 globeandmail.com: Skills shortage looms in nuclear industry Canada AM EDT ON 19/06/06 Crunch comes as Ontario gears up ambitious plan for expansion KAREN HOWLETT From Monday's Globe and Mail TORONTO — Canada's nuclear power industry faces a severe shortage of skilled workers, with 40 per cent of the professional engineers and technical support staff set to retire over the next decade just as Ontario embarks on an ambitious program to build and refurbish reactors. The Ontario government said last week that it plans to address the province's electricity shortage by spending more than $40-billion over the next 20 years building two new nuclear reactors and refurbishing existing ones. The announcement follows a prolonged slump in the industry, where new jobs had all but vanished and universities had cancelled undergraduate programs in nuclear engineering. "You can't just flick a switch and say: 'Okay, let's start again,' " Duncan Hawthorne, chief executive officer of Bruce Power, said in an interview. Mr. Hawthorne said 8,000 of the industry's 20,000 workers will be eligible to retire over the next decade. At the same time, he said, a shortage of younger workers to replace them raises questions about whether the industry is ready for the rehabilitation of nuclear power. "The truth is, the industry has not been doing any long-term planning for a number of years, either in terms of investing in the assets or the people," Mr. Hawthorne said. "As a consequence of that, we haven't been refreshing the work force." He said the industry needs to be more proactive in addressing the shortage of skilled workers. But academics counter that students won't enroll in nuclear engineering programs without job stability at places such as Bruce Power, the private consortium that operates the Bruce nuclear station on Lake Huron, and Ontario Power Generation, the government-owned utility. "Unless the industry can make stable pronouncements about how many people they need, students are not going to be attracted to that area," said William Garland, a professor of engineering science at McMaster University in Hamilton. "It's all very nice for Ontario Power Generation and Bruce Power to walk into the university and say: 'We need 100 people. Where are your students?' " he said. "My response is: 'Where were you last year, and the year before that?' " The lull in hiring began in the early 1990s as cost overruns and delays associated with building new nuclear power plants left the industry facing an uncertain future. With job prospects few and far between, enrolment in university nuclear engineering programs plummeted. During the glory days in the 1970s, by comparison, the old Ontario Hydro would hire 50 nuclear engineers at once, said Prof. Garland, who worked there at the time. Ontario had embraced nuclear power as a source of cheap, abundant electricity to meet the province's growing energy needs. By 1993, the province had 20 reactors up and running and Ontario Hydro had 30,000 employees, not counting those working on building the plants. But the industry's fortunes faded rapidly after cost overruns associated with the Darlington nuclear station left the province saddled with billions of dollars in debt. A new plant has not been commissioned since 1974 and a new one has not opened since 1992. In the early 1990s, the University of Toronto cancelled its undergraduate engineering program in nuclear thermal power. It had been one of the university's biggest engineering programs, but only one student was enrolled in its final year, said Greg Evans, an engineering professor at U of T. But Prof. Garland said the job picture in the industry began to brighten even before last week's announcement by the Ontario government. He has 30 students in his fourth-year specialty course in nuclear engineering, up from only five in the late 1980s. And the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa will turn out its first graduating class of 50 students next year in nuclear engineering. It is the only undergraduate degree program in nuclear engineering in Canada. "Today's students are extremely job oriented and market savvy," said George Bereznai, the 64-year-old dean of the program. "They could see in 2003 there was a future in nuclear while many of us veterans were questioning it." In 2002, the federal government also set up a training and research program in nuclear engineering to train a new generation of nuclear engineers. The Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering is an alliance of industry and Ontario universities, including U of T, McMaster, and the University of Waterloo. But many of these academic efforts will take a few years to bear fruit. In the meantime, Bruce Power is dealing with its shortage of skilled workers by raiding other sectors for talent. The company has recruited 1,000 new employees over the past five years, mainly from the oil and gas and construction sectors, bringing the total to 3,700, Mr. Hawthorne said. Bruce pays a professional engineer a starting salary of $90,000 to $120,000 a year and a draftsperson, $60,000 to $80,000 a year. "The company that pays the best will lure away employees from other companies," he said. Copyright 2006 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. globeandmail.com and The Globe and Mail are divisions of Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc., 444 Front St. W., Toronto, Canada M5V 2S9 Phillip Crawley, Publisher --> --> ***************************************************************** 28 MSNBC: Nuclear energy sparks interest among U.S. engineering students - Pittsburgh - MSNBC.com Nuclear energy sparks interest among U.S. engineering students By Dan Reynolds Pittsburgh Business Times As the world plans to increase its use of nuclear energy, the nation's universities are seeing a strong increase in enrollment in nuclear engineering courses. Locally, for the first time in years, the University of Pittsburgh's School of Engineering is offering a nuclear engineering course this fall and is considering adding a nuclear engineering degree program. Gerald Holder, the dean of Pitt's School of Engineering, said university administrators hoped to draw 15 students to this fall's introductory nuclear engineering course but ended up landing 50. "I think the word is out that the nuclear industry is back," Holder said. Holder said the university also is considering reestablishing a nuclear engineering certification program but will keep an eye on enrollment to see if it justifies establishing a major in the subject. The certification program prepares mechanical engineering students for work in the nuclear field but is not a full-fledged nuclear engineering degree. "It is a possibility. If we get this kind of response over the long term we might do it," Holder said of the degree program. Driven by the pending retirement of a previous generation of nuclear engineers and an increasing demand for alternative energy sources, enrollment at established nuclear engineering programs is fast expanding. Nationally, enrollment in graduate and undergraduate nuclear engineering programs increased 13 percent from the 2004-2005 academic year to the 2005-2006 academic year, according to John Gutteridge, with the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy. Penn State University has seen growth in its undergraduate nuclear engineering program of between 12 percent and 15 percent per year during the past three years, according to L.E. Hochreiter, a professor of nuclear and mechanical engineering. Hochreiter said when he joined the faculty at Penn State in 1997, the undergraduate nuclear engineering program counted five students at the junior and senior level. This year the program has 107 juniors and seniors and 50 graduate students. Today's graduates, Hochreiter said can expect to command a starting salary of between $55,000 and $60,000 per year. One of the chief users of collegiate nuclear and mechanical engineering talent locally is Monroeville-based Westinghouse Electric Co., which employs 3,000 locally and more than 8,000 nationally. Pitt is developing its nuclear engineering course with help from Westinghouse, said Westinghouse spokesman Vaughn Gilbert. Holder said Westinghouse president and CEO Steve Tritch helped to spark interest among engineering students at Pitt when he spoke at the school's commencement ceremonies on April 30. MSNBC.com ***************************************************************** 29 Korea Times: KEDO Chief Resigns Hankooki.com > The Korea Times > Nation By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Chang Sun-sup, who has been on the forefront of the multinational project to build two light water reactors (LWRs) in North Korea for the past decade, Monday resigned as administrator of the Office of Planning for the Light Water Reactor (LWR) Project at South Korea¡¯s Unification Ministry. His resignation follows the official termination of the decade-long Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) project and an agreement to liquidate it by South Korea, the United States, Japan, and the European Union (EU) earlier this month. Allegations of North Korea¡¯s covert pursuit of highly enriched uranium in 2002 put the KEDO project on repeated suspensions before its official termination three weeks ago. Chang, 71, was the oldest public servant in the South Korean government. He began his career in 1963 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and was ambassador to Denmark and France before heading the LWR project in 1996. Highly respected for his language and diplomatic skills, Chang reached retirement age in 1999, but retained his Unification Ministry post. saltwall@koreatimes.co.kr 06-19-2006 16:20 ***************************************************************** 30 [NukeNet] Train (carrying radioactive material) derailment Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 14:22:24 -0700 NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net) http://www.mlive.com/news/sanews/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1150723335185740.xml&coll=9 Train derailment called sabotage Monday, June 19, 2006 JOE SNAPPER THE SAGINAW NEWS FARWELL -- The derailment of a train carrying radioactive material from the defunct Big Rock Nuclear Power Plant appears an act of sabotage, railroad officials said today. "We feel strongly there was some tampering, some vandalism going on," said Mike Bagwell, chief executive of Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway. Seventeen of the train's 38 cars left the tracks about 1:15 a.m. Friday as it traveled through a switch near the Renosol Corp. plant in Surrey Township, Clare County officials have said. Authorities have no specific suspects, but the cars jumped the line midway through the switch. Two locomotives and four cars traveled safely through the line change when the switch suddenly diverted the train, Bagwell said. The switch operates manually, but Bagwell said it was not likely that someone was present to make it occur. A green light tricked the engineer into thinking the switch was safe, he said. "It was set to change," Bagwell said. "It gave the appearance (it was safe) and then something changed." None of the six cars carrying crushed concrete and soil from the Consumers Energy-owned Charlevoix nuclear plant that shut down in 1997 overturned, Bagwell said. Workers carefully sealed the radioactive shipments and they were tamper-proof, he said. Bagwell was unsure what degree of radioactivity the shipments possessed. He was also at odds with reports from Clare County's emergency management director that the shipments were actually wastewater once used to cool the plant. Bagwell also said that despite the sabotage, he did not believe the train was targeted because of the radioactive shipment. No one was injured in the wreck. The Saginaw News could not reach Clare County Sheriff Jeffery V. Goyt or 911 Emergency Management Director Sgt. William J. Larson for comment this morning. Bagwell said railway crews were en route this morning to retrieve the remaining cars. Workers completed rebuilding about 500 feet of track Saturday. v Joe Snapper is a staff writer for The Saginaw News. You may reach him at 776-9715. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "If sunbeams were weapons of war, we would have had solar energy centuries ago": Sir George Porter, quoted in The Observer, 26 August 1973 "The pioneers of a warless world are the youth that refuse military service": Albert Einstein "Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph": Haile Selassie Molly Johnson 6290 Hawk Ridge Place San Miguel, CA 93451 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________________________________ Subscribe/Unsubscribe Here: http://www.energyjustice.net/nukenet/ Change your settings or access the archives at: http://energyjustice.net/mailman/listinfo/nukenet_energyjustice.net ***************************************************************** 31 Pretoria News: Bidders queue up for Zim\'s uranium iol.co.zafor Photo: INLSA June 19, 2006 Edition 1 Harare - Zimbabwe is assessing bids from three local and foreign firms who have applied for mining rights to explore uranium deposits, according to a newspaper report. Analysts say that although extensive research in the 1980s established that there were sizeable uranium deposits in Kanyemba district in Zimbabwe's Zambezi Valley, the commercial viability of the reserves had not yet been confirmed. Mugabe last year announced, without giving details, a drive to exploit Zimbabwe's uranium for electricity generation, but not to supply nuclear weapons programmes. The government-controlled Sunday Mail newspaper quoted Zimbabwe Deputy Mines Minister Tinos Rusere as saying that bids from three firms were being considered, and a decision might be made in the next few months. Rusere and other senior government officials were not immediately available for further comment. The Sunday Mail said firms from Australia, China, Namibia, Russia and South Africa had expressed interest in the project in the past. Mining industry sources say Zimbabwe last year cancelled without explanation a process that had drawn bids from several foreign firms for the uranium exploration project. Rusere said the government was also looking for viable options to explore small uranium deposits in Binga, Victoria Falls, Hwange and Kamativi. Mugabe's government is mired in its worst crisis since independence from Britain in 1980, fighting chronic food and fuel shortages and the world's highest inflation rate of around ***************************************************************** 32 NRC: RIN 3150-AH86 FR Doc E6-9565 [Federal Register: June 19, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 117)] [Rules and Regulations] [Page 35147-35148] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr19jn06-4] List of Approved Fuel Storage Casks: FuelSolutionsTM Revision 4, Confirmation of Effective Date AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Direct final rule: Confirmation of effective date. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ------ SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is confirming the effective date of July 3, 2006, for the direct final rule that was published in the Federal Register on April 18, 2006 (71 FR 19806). This direct final rule amended the NRC's regulations to revise the BNG Fuel Solutions Corporation (FuelSolutionsTM) cask system listing to include Amendment No. 4 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1026. DATES: Effective Date: The effective date of July 3, 2006, is confirmed for this direct final rule. ADDRESSES: Documents related to this rulemaking, including comments received, may be examined at the NRC Public Document Room, located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. These same documents may also be viewed and downloaded electronically via the rulemaking Web site (). For information about the interactive rulemaking Web site, contact Ms. Carol Gallagher (301) 415-5905; e-mail . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jayne M. McCausland, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, telephone (301) 415-6219, e-mail . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 18, 2006 (71 FR 19806), the NRC published a direct final rule amending its regulations in 10 CFR Part 72 to revise the FuelSolutionsTM cask system listing within the ``List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks'' to include [[Page 35148]] Amendment No. 4 to CoC No. 1026. This amendment revises the Technical Specifications related to periodic monitoring during storage operations to permit longer surveillance intervals for casks with heat loads lower than the design basis heat load and to permit visual inspection of the cask vent screens or measurement of the cask liner temperature. In the direct final rule, NRC stated that if no significant adverse comments were received, the direct final rule would become final on July 3, 2006. The NRC did not receive any comments that warranted withdrawal of the direct final rule. Therefore, this rule will become effective as scheduled. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th, day of June, 2006. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Michael T. Lesar, Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration. [FR Doc. E6-9565 Filed 6-16-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 33 GLRC: TURNING NUKE WASTE SITES INTO PLAYGROUNDS [great lakes radio consortium] Across the U.S., there are more than 100 sites contaminated by radioactive waste from the nation's nuclear weapons programs. The government is trying to return these Cold War relics to safe and useful purposes. Some of these once toxic zones are being treated much like public parks. The GLRC's Kevin Lavery visited one that was recently opened to the public: More on nuclear waste from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Institute for Energy and Environmental Research website Producer: Release Date: June 19, 2006 ***************************************************************** 34 FCW.com: DOE security upgrades could better protect data Security revitalization effort began months before data theft was revealed BY Michael Hardy Published on June 19, 2006 The Energy Department is six months into a security revitalization project that could help prevent attacks such as the recently reported incident in which cyber thieves stole records on 1,500 DOE employees. That theft happened more than a year ago, and it affected the National Nuclear Security Administration, which is a semiautonomous DOE organization, according to its Web site. Tom Pyke, the departments chief information officer, said the security upgrade was already well under way before he or other top agency officials learned of the incident. At the time of the security breach, DOEs security was tight, Pyke said. The department had firewalls and intrusion-detection systems in place. The cyber thieves did not penetrate those defenses. Instead, they resorted to a common social engineering attack in which they enticed an employee to click on an e-mail message attachment. The attachment executed malicious code that allowed the thieves to take the data. Outsider attacks are not often successful, but when they are, they can be devastating, said Brandon Hoff, chief marketing officer at CipherOptics. Intruders can plant a backdoor, which is code that allows them to easily access the network and bypass security measures without detection, Hoff said. Pyke, who also led the creation of a cyber incident management team, said the department withstands hundreds of thousands of attempts to break into its systems every day. Most of the attacks are ineffective and inconsequential. The moment a management team identifies a hack attempt as an incident  an attack serious and sophisticated enough to potentially succeed  people are on top of it, he said. What we have done over the last several months is to enhance awareness, he said. To teach e-mail users not to facilitate a future cyber theft, Pykes staff occasionally sends test messages that resemble malicious e-mail. Employees who take the bait get a message admonishing them. We need to get the right continual training, he said. My experience has been that most folks dont understand the seriousness of the message at first. Bruce Brody, vice president of information security at Input, said many agencies lack centralized security practices. Lise Neely, product marketing manager at Princeton Softech, said agencies and other organizations are often careless with personal information. People have a good understanding of protecting the production environment, where all the processing happens, Neely said. Hackers will look for other ways in. There are nonproduction environments that become a backdoor for a hacker. Copyright 2000-2006 . ***************************************************************** 35 Las Vegas Business Press: 'Dream team' coming to test site BUSINESS PRESS The Nevada Test site had seemingly lost its purpose as nuclear weaponry was wound back after the Cold War, but the War on Terror may be giving it a new lease on life. At least that's the plan that National Security Technologies LLC pitched to the National Nuclear Security Administration. And after the agency thought about the question for a year, it decided last March that the test site should have a new operator. The winner, whose name has already been shortened to NSTec, is a consortium of companies that President and General Manager Stephen Younger thinks will add significant value to both the test site and Southern Nevada. The consortium will take over July 1 and is managed by Northrop Grumman and includes AECOM, CH2M Hill and Nuclear Fuel Services. NSTec President Stephen Younger explains the company's new strategy for the Nevada Test Site. The new company won the contract over Bechtel because it offered to do much more than operate the site as it had been previously as the "roads and commodes" contract. Younger would not name names, but said a couple of projects would be announced shortly after NSTec moves in. NSTec is "the dream team" of defense and engineering expertise that will give the test site a new mission, Younger said. Bechtel had been a "fine and professional operation," he noted, but the government was attracted by NSTec's plans to develop the site as the testing ground for homeland security. RELIABILITY AN ISSUE That will involve small nuclear explosions in both labs and in the underground testing chambers at the site. Some of those tests hark back to the site's original mission of testing nuclear weapons. Reliability continues to be an issue, said Younger, because they had been in storage longer than had originally been planned. Younger thinks the new-look site will carry out both a homeland security mission as well as bringing new business opportunities westward from the northern Virginia suburbs outside Washington, D.C., where most of the new companies focusing on national security are located. And that's the additional benefit that won NSTec the contract. Only the test site can provide labs to test new equipment designed to detect bombs and other dangerous substances. Younger expects that port security equipment, for example, will be tested and refined at the site. He also said the new emphasis at the test site should bring regional offices to Las Vegas for a number of high-tech companies that work on national security issues. They will be working on testing detection and surveillance equipment, which, Younger says, can only be tested at the site. He also said that companies specializing in environmental clean-up and hazardous materials will be making their presence felt in Las Vegas and at the site. SIMULATIONS It also provides a training ground for public safety personnel to practice their antiterrorism skills. "Last week, there was a group of New York City police," he said, "who were put into buildings filled with smoke and had to find the radioactive sources." That kind of simulation is important, Younger said, for responding to the proverbial suitcase bomb or a "dirty bomb" that uses conventional explosives to spread nuclear material. The new broom also plans to remove a layer or two of bureaucracy. "It's a blank sheet of paper, and after 10 years of so you need to reform some internal processes," Younger said. Younger was director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency from 2001 to 2004 and has worked in senior positions at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The contract is valued at approximately $500 million annually and will run for five years initially and could be extended for another five depending on performance. Under the contract, NSTec will operate the test site and satellite facilities in North Las Vegas at Nellis Air Force Base; at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C.; in Los Alamos, N.M.; Livermore and Santa Barbara, Calif. Bechtel's work for Yucca Mountain is unaffected by the decision on the test site contract. imylchreest@lvbusinesspress.com | 702-871-6780 x319 Copyright © 2006 Las Vegas Business Press ***************************************************************** 36 Knox News: Nuclear superstructure's demolition ahead of schedule Cold War-era K-29 building first of city's big processing facilities to be knocked down By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com June 19, 2006 OAK RIDGE - A nuclear colossus is coming down. Demolition crews are having their way with K-29, a mega-sized building once used to process uranium for atomic bombs and nuclear reactors. Since January, about three-fourths of the two-story structure has been demolished, and the rest will soon become radioactive rubble. "We expect to have the superstructure demolished and on the ground by the end of July, with the balance of the waste shipped off site at the end of August," David Crossley, the project manager for Bechtel Jacobs Co., said as he watched the heavy-duty "excavators" take down walls and columns. Crossley said the K-29 project is about four months ahead of schedule, and the progress is obvious. All that's left in some areas is a concrete pad. K-29 was built as the Cold War was just taking off, and enrichment operations began there in 1951, supplementing the earlier facilities that were constructed for the World War II Manhattan Project. Operations ceased in 1985, when declining demand for enrichment services and the high cost of electricity sealed the plant's fate. K-29 is the first of the big processing facilities in Oak Ridge to be knocked down. BNFL Inc., now known as BNG America, dismantled the equipment inside K-29 and two nearby facilities, K-31 and K-33, during a seven-year period beginning in the late 1990s. The original plan was to clean up each of the three mammoth buildings and convert them into private industrial parks. Later, however, it was decided that K-29 was not suitable for reindustrialization. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee, a nonprofit organization, are still trying to find suitable tenants for K-31 and K-33. Bechtel Jacobs, DOE's environmental cleanup manager in Oak Ridge, also plans to dismantle and demolish much of the K-25 building, the original, mile-long, uranium-enrichment plant, and its companion facility, K-27. Some of the lessons learned from the K-29 demolition reportedly will be applied to those projects. According to Crossley and his DOE counterparts, Ron Kirk and David Queen, the work has gone almost perfectly. About 60 people are working at the demolition site. "We have a very detailed collapse plan, and the plan specifies which columns can be taken down and in what sequence," Crossley said. "Resulting from the work that we've been doing, we've been able to see that the building is responding precisely as the collapse plan had predicted." The building was 524 feet by 560 feet, with floor space equal to 6 1/2 football fields. Crossley said Bechtel Jacobs engineers evaluated the use of explosives but that the building's squat-like structure made it an unattractive option. "It just doesn't lend itself to gravity, so you would really have to load each one of those columns to knock them out so that the building could fall down," he said. "And that creates seismic issues with regard to surrounding buildings and operations in those buildings." During the past five months, more than 26,000 tons of radioactively contaminated rubble has been hauled from the K-29 site to a nuclear landfill a few miles away. Washington Group is doing that work under a subcontract to Bechtel Jacobs. "We have a dedicated fleet of 10 trucks, and we have shipped up to 41 loads to the landfill on a given day," Crossley said. All told, more than 2,000 truckloads have made the trek, he said. Demco and Broadway Electric are the other subcontractors supporting the project. Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329. © 2006 - Knoxville News Sentinel ***************************************************************** 37 Knox News: Munger: TAG Transport answers the call when it comes to hauling nuke waste By FRANK MUNGER, news@knoxbusinessjournal.com June 19, 2006 When TAG Transport was founded in 1996, the company had two trucks and a budding plan to haul radioactive materials. A decade later, the Rockwood company has 50 trucks, an inventory of specialty casks and containers, and dozens of drivers who traverse the nation's highways to the tune of 5 million miles a year. With Oak Ridge in your backyard, it's easy to see how nuclear waste could become a growth business. Garry Strand, vice president for sales and marketing, isn't anxious to discuss revenue or profits for the privately owned company, but he calls the nuclear world fruitful for trucking. "I'll say this. It's more profitable than hauling commercial freight," Strand said with emphasis. Radioactive waste, of course, is the company's main attraction, but TAG does haul "normal" freight on occasion - usually to make use of empty trailers after one-way shipments to the West. The most frequent destinations are the Department of Energy's Nevada Test Site, where low-level radioactive wastes are buried, and a commercial landfill at Clive, Utah, that's owned by Energy Solutions (formerly Envirocare). "If we drop a load in Nevada, we don't want to come back empty," Strand said. After off-loading the radioactive cargo and getting a clean survey for trailer contamination, TAG's truckers have hauled everything from onions to bushhogs on the way back to East Tennessee. Typically, the company tries to broker a load that's bound for someplace within a 200- to-300-mile radius of Rockwood. "It's just something to cover the cost of fuel and drivers," Strand said. For several years, BNFL Inc., the American subsidiary of British Nuclear Fuels, was TAG's biggest customer. BNFL had a contract with the Department of Energy to dismantle the uranium-enrichment operations inside three huge buildings at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, and TAG hauled tons and tons of contaminated equipment and related scrap to Nevada and Utah. TAG, owned by Gary Kindrick, still does work for Oak Ridge contractors - such as Foster Wheeler Environmental's waste-processing plant on Highway 95 - but the transport company has developed a national reputation and doesn't depend on local business. Strand said TAG hauls waste for many of the nation's commercial utilities with nuclear power plants - from Pacific Gas &Electric to Florida Power and Light. He said the company is one of two transporters cleared to carry radioactive materials for Chicago-based Exelon, which owns 17 nuclear reactors. Nuclear work can be demanding and complicated, with more things to worry about - everything from special training and screenings for employees to additional permits and higher insurance rates. "However, at the end of the day, it's more profitable," Strand said. A current trend is getting security clearances for the company's drivers. Many of TAG's drivers already have "L" clearances, which provide access to lower levels of classified information, and Strand said 24 of the drivers are in an accelerated program to get top-rated "Q" clearances. Strand said he couldn't discuss upcoming work in much detail, but he said the security clearances would allow the company to participate in safeguarded work monitored by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. "It's for materials that are considered more dangerous," including stuff that could be used for so-called dirty bombs, he said. "In the nation, there are probably only about 100 Q-cleared drivers." The government is expected to increase the number of shipments with security requirements over the next several years, Strand said. TAG's drivers are not armed, but they are trained in security tactics, and every nuclear shipment has a security plan "for eyes only," Strand said. The trucks are also monitored by satellite tracking systems, he said. "We know where every one of our radioactive shipments is - 24/7," he said. "Within two minutes, we can know the location of a truck, and that location is good within nine meters." Strand watches his words when asked about the difference between working for commercial utilities and the federal government. He said there is more "boilerplate" on the federal end of the business, while noting that the relationship with utilities can vary from site to site. "But the technical portion (of the work) is pretty much the same," he said. "Being a transportation company, we can't play favorites to anybody. We work for everybody. We give them all the same price." TAG is designated a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Zone small business by the federal Small Business Administration because it's located in an economically depressed area and gets preference in some contract competitions. Almost all of the company's drivers live within Roane and Morgan counties, Strand said. Pro2Serve moves up the list Engineering News-Record named Pro2Serve Professional Project Services Inc., based in Oak Ridge, to its list of top 500 design firms. The list is based on 2005 revenue. Pro2Serve was the only company with headquarters in East Tennessee to make the list, according to information distributed by the company. Five other Tennessee-based firms were listed. Pro2Serve was ranked as the 242nd largest design firm in the United States, up from 321st in 2004 and 354th the previous year. Tech park won't be ORNL annex Pro2Serve made big news recently when it was announced that the company would be the anchor tenant for the new Oak Ridge Science and Technology Park, the first-of-its kind tech park inside the boundaries of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Oak Ridge-based company is investing $15 million to build the National Security Engineering Center, which also will serve as Pro2Serve's corporate headquarters. The announcement said that Pro2Serve expected to hire another 200 or so employees over the next several years as its business grows. Asked what kind of personnel would be hired, Goss quickly replied, "Scientists and engineers - the core of our business." Goss describes Pro2Serve as a company that does "critical infrastructure engineering," and he said just about everything the company does is in support of national security. The company has done significant design projects at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge. Aside from Pro2Serve, it's not yet clear what companies will be located in the new technology park at ORNL. It was announced that Holrob Investments, headed by Knoxville businessman Bob Talbott, had tentatively committed to build a 100,000-square-foot building that's the equivalent of the Pro2Serve facility. The would-be tenants have not been named. Alex Fischer, technology-transfer director at ORNL, discounted a rumor that UT-Battelle would move some of the lab's personnel to the new science and technology park. "This is for the private sector," Fischer said, although he noted there could be isolated cases of lab use. He said there had been consideration of moving ORNL's tech-transfer office to the site, which is adjacent to the central campus, and possibly keeping some incubator space for spinoff businesses. Fischer emphasized that the park would be about science and technology, with covenants in place to prevent other businesses, such as insurance companies, from locating in the office space. Besides the science link, tenants should have a relationship to the laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy, he said. © 2006 - Knoxville News Sentinel ***************************************************************** NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: *****************************************************************